Ahva Trinidad is only nine years old but when she competes in table tennis, she goes up against much older opponents.
The young Parksville player is already playing at an advanced level and does not have the opportunity to find players that will challenge her at the junior level.
To get the playing experience she needs to improve her game, Trinidad decided to enter the women’s division. She has done that twice, with some promising results.
In her first-ever competition in 2022 in Cumberland, Trinidad played in the women’s division and made an impressive debut when she finished in first place in the women’s recreational category.
And recently, Trinidad competed at the 2023 Dodge City Table Tennis Open Tournament last month, hosted by the Cumberland Table Tennis Club, that had 60 competitors from all over Vancouver Island.
The Grade 4 Springwood Elementary student made it all the way to the singles final where she encountered the more experienced Michelle Ting of Langford, who eventually won the women’s title. Trinidad went on to win the consolation women’s title.
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It was another promising result for Trinidad, who was inspired to pick up the game from her father Michael Trinidad, who is very passionate about the sport. He established the Parksville Table Tennis Society, which offers games every Monday at the Bradley Centre from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“She started playing when she was five years old, so it’s almost four years now,” said Michael. “It’s in the genes, I think. When she was still young I brought her with me to the club when I played ping pong. She said she liked it.”
Michael also competed at the open tournament along with James Dean of Qualicum Beach, who finished second in the consolation recreational draw, and Sands Falk, who reached the quarter-finals of the men’s draw.
Ahva now regularly trains with her dad three times a week for two hours each session. There’s not very many players her age in the club so she gets to play against the experienced adults, who are also supportive of her, providing her with guidance and a challenging game.
