Brian Blake gets in the ready position to serve up a win.
Brian Blake, a 17-year-old student-athlete from the Faculty of Social Sciences, has qualified to represent Jamaica at two major regional table tennis events in the Dominican Republic from April 6 to 15, 2026.
Blake, a part-time Sociology major, secured his spot at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Special Event Qualifier following a fiercely contested Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) trials at the National Arena on Saturday, March 7, 2026. He placed second, trailing only former National Champion and UWI, Mona alumnus, Mark Phillips.
Late last year, the junior player booked his spot to the April 9-15, 2026, ITTF-Americas Central American & Caribbean Championships with a first-place finish at the JTTA’s Men’s Senior Trials in Kingston.
Blake’s latest accomplishments follow a strong run of form both locally and internationally. This streak is highlighted by a bronze-medal finish at the Joola North American Table Tennis Team Championship (Division 2) in Washington, D.C. last November; an MVP title this February at the Barbican Terrace Table Tennis Autumn League while anchoring Barbican Red to victory; and a first-place finish earlier this month at The UWI, Mona Team Trials to qualify for The UWI Games in Trinidad. The UWI Games will be held at The UWI, St Augustine Campus from May 21 to 29, 2026.
Blake's success is the result of ten years of disciplined competition – from securing his first U-9 National Championship Title in 2016 to captaining the St Andrew Preparatory School and Jamaica College to the medal tables. He has won every National Championship Title at each level of his game, and now has his sights set on the U-19 title and the National Men's Championship Title.
The National player does not plan on slowing down after the Dominican Republic events. He intends to pursue international training intensives this summer, a strategic move designed to secure his path toward Olympic qualification.
"For table tennis players, specialised training camps and regional events are vital for building the foundation for Olympic qualification," Blake explained. He emphasised that the journey isn't a solo pursuit, “but a collective effort involving our players, coaches, families, and other key stakeholders”.
"Brian has held the U-9, U-11, U-13, and U-15 National Championship titles. Now that he is at The UWI, we expect him to further hone his technical skills while thriving academically," said Stephen Grant, Director, Kingston and St Andrew Table Tennis Association (KSATTA).