by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Organised by the Central American Sports Organization, often referred to as ORDECA, an acronym of the Spanish title Organización Deportiva Centroamericana, the multi-sport event was first staged in Guatemala City in 1973; held on a quadrennial basis, it is traditionally staged in the year following the Olympic Games.
The countries involved, all competing in the table tennis events, are Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama; the Games do not include Mexico, only the countries on the Central American isthmus.
Also, the event should not be confused with the Central American and Caribbean Games which will take place next year in August in Barranquilla, Colombia.
In Managua all the Olympic sports are represented with table tennis presenting a full schedule of seven events: Men’s Team, Women’s Team, Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.
Overall a total of 27 men and 21 women are named to compete in Managua; top seed in the Men’s Singles event is Hector Gatica followed by Panama’s Omer Avi-Tal, Kevin Montufar and Allan Guttierez. However, a name to note may will be the fifth in the order of merit, also from Panama, Jacobo Vahnish only 14 years old is one of Latin America’s most rapidly improving young players.
Meanwhile, in the Women’s Singles event, Mabelyn Enriquez and Andrea Estrada occupy the respective top two seeded places followed by El Salvador’s Estefania Ramirios and Emme Arias.
Play in the table tennis events at the Central American Games concludes on Sunday 17th December.
Entries
2017 Central American Games: List of Entries
2017 Central American Games: List of National Associations
Team Events
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Team & Women’s Team – Seeding
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Team – First Stage (Thursday 14th December)
2017 Central American Games: Women’s Team – Group Event (Thursday 14th December)
Men’s Singles & Women’s Singles
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Singles – Seeding
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Singles – First Stage (Thursday 14th December)
2017 Central American Games: Women’s Singles – Seeding
2017 Central American Games: Women’s Singles – Stage One (Thursday 14th December)
Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles & Mixed Doubles
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Doubles – Main Draw (Thursday 14th December)
2017 Central American Games: Women’s Doubles – Main Draw (Thursday 14th December)
2017 Central American Games: Mixed Doubles – Main Draw (Thursday 14th December)