Two table tennis coaches from America have been brought in by the Bermuda Table Tennis Association to coach youngsters in the hope of restoring an interest in the flagging sport and to help prepare the senior national team for the World Championships in Japan on April 23.

Eric Owens and Christian Lillieroos arrived on the Island last week to assist and both were looking forward to their assignments with enthusiasm.

But the duo may find it less challenging to prepare the national team players than to find ways to encourage young prospects to take up the sport.

BTTA president Mansfield Smith does not hide the fact that table tennis has been in serious decline in recent years with the number of league teams dwindling from 20 down to a mere five that registered this past season.

"It's quite disturbing for us which is one of the reasons for getting the coaches here, to get them involved with the youths in the youth centres and in the schools,'' said Smith.

"It's clear that we have to make a valiant attempt to restore interest in the sport of table tennis. It's such a great sport for the young, both girls and boys.

"Thanks to the help of our yearly grant from Government, which was increased this year for the coaches, combined with the generosity of Fairmont Hamilton Princess who have accommodated them for no charge, we are able to make this significant step towards coaching and upgrading our development programme.'' As far as the senior squad is concerned, Smith was hoping also that with the help of the coaches Bermuda would manage to improve on its best ever single victory at the Worlds.

The coaches have been busy since arriving, having already adjusted to a schedule which has them working with the senior squad early mornings and again during the evenings and attending the three Government centres on the Island.

"They have already been to the centre at St. George's, now they will be attending the one in Hamilton on Friday and then travel to the west end to the location in Somerset,'' said Smith.

"Then next week they will be even busier as they will be going to the two senior schools, four middle schools and one primary school.'' Such is the determination of the BTTA to attract young faces that a search is currently under way to find a facility that would be considered suitable for the young -- safe and liquor-free.

"We are negotiating this possibility right now as far as finding a proper facility and we have one in mind, but I can't reveal this right now,'' said Smith.

Smith, however, did admit that if the response was good from the youth to the point that a league could be formed, it was the hope of the BTTA that some players could be taken to the US Open Championships in Baltimore in November.

The Bermuda Open Table Tennis Championships had a disappointing field of only eight players at CedarBridge on Saturday.

One top player ruled out was second seed Myron Piper who was forced to withdraw after injuring his back earlier in the morning.

Top seed Blair Quested won the singles championship by defeating third seed Dave Waltham 21-16, 21-17, 21-19 in the final.

He had earlier beaten Donavin Seymour 13-21, 21-11, 21-18 and Curtis Hodgson 21-14, 21-12, 21-13 to increase his consecutive string of victories to 16 since he started to play on the Island on March 13.

Quested teamed up with Brian (Buller) Anderson to win the doubles championship by defeating Chris Fleming and Rudolph Spence 21-16, 13-21, 21-10.

Fleming defeated Spence 22-20, 21-16 to win the consolation final.

The Bermuda Table Tennis Association will be holding their prize presentation at BPSA on Tuesday, April 10 starting at 8 p.m.

On the ball: American table tennis coaches Christian Lillieross (left) and Eric Owens flank Bermuda Table Tennis Association president Mansfield Smith.