Sherdon Pierre guides Barbados' Knight at table tennis Olympic qualifiers in Doha

FORMER UTT Patriots High-Performance table tennis student-athlete Sherdon Pierre is in Doha, Qatar, preparing Bajan Tyrese Knight for the Tokyo 2021 World Singles Qualification Tournament which serves off on Sunday.

Pierre and the 21-year-old player were also invited to take part in a special International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) High-Performance camp, one week before the Olympic qualifier.

Under his newly founded sport organisation, In For More (IFM) Sports Agency, Pierre enlisted the young Bajan.

In 2011, Pierre graduated from UTT with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Studies and specialisation in Sport Management and Sport for Development. He then went on to complete his International Masters in Sport for Development, at UTT, in 2017.

The Doha meet serves as one of the ITTF’s rare qualifying events owing to the pandemic. This has forced several of the globe’s top-ranked athletes to compete at this leg to secure Olympic qualification.

“I came here as his (Knight) manager/coach. It’s an excellent opportunity for both of us. This is my first taste of being so close to the action at an international event. I’m grateful for the opportunity and for Tyrese believing in me.

“I was able to get a contract for him in Denmark and Sweden but owing to covid19, things didn’t go as planned. We then began looking for opportunities for him to prepare for the Olympic qualifiers,” said Pierre from his Qatar base on Saturday.

After completing the development course, on Saturday, the pair incorporated some of their new-found knowledge into Knight’s game ahead of the qualifier. Pierre dubbed the course an “eye-opener’ and was pleased to connect with some of the top table tennis coaches and athletes in the world.

He said that Knight faces a stern challenge as he gears up to face high ranking ITTF athletes for a spot at the Tokyo Games.

“It will be an uphill task for Tyrese to qualify in these Games. He’s optimistic, has prepared pretty well and is confident in his game. We’re already acclimatised and raring to go,” said the manager/coach.

Pierre added that he aims to bridge the talent gap between the Caribbean and international opposition. By attending the ITTF workshop and gaining a hands-on experience in Doha, he intends to provide regional athletes with an additional platform to showcase their talents and improve their competitiveness on the international stage.

Although Trinidadian, Pierre will not limit his athlete pool as a certified sport manager to TT only. He thinks the region should move forward, competitively, as a united force and continue to lessen the gaps between the Caribbean and developed nations.

“On my passport, it says, 'Caricom community' and my objective is to bridge the gap between the Caribbean and Latin America, as well as internationally.

“For far too long there’s a huge gap between us due to a lack of opportunity or maybe people not following up on the interests or making the necessary networking.

“I’m seeing where athletes like Tyrese, who with limited training and less preparation, could compete. Imagine if we start at an earlier age and get the athletes out there until we reach a stage where we can train at home,” he added.

Owing to the pandemic, Pierre and Knight are training and competing in a bio-secure bubble. Their daily regime comprises breakfast, training and a return to the hotel with heavy restrictions placed on outdoor activity.

Pierre sees the “bubble life” as a blessing in disguise since it has helped Knight place more emphasis on his game.

Knight, however, recently returned to the competitive circuit after dropping off because of covid19 and other reasons.

Pierre credited the Barbados Government for recognising Knight’s talent and investing in his, and by extension, the country’s future and potential Olympian. Indirectly, he called on TT’s Government and national sporting organisations to follow suit, if we are to generate high-performance athletes consistently.

““We have to invest in our athletes. Barbados paid quite a lot of money for him to be here and they saw a lot of benefit in it. We have to invest in our athletes because one camp will not make him a world champion overnight.

“But it’s a stepping stone by him closing in on the best in the world. I’m willing to assist anyone who is willing to take on the challenge to become the world’s best. I’ll do my utmost best for them to achieve that,” he closed.