top Caribbean players for the Bermuda International Championships, which began yesterday at the BAA gym.

Guatemalans Ken Erichson and Alex Altalef are the reigning Caribbean senior and junior champions and have their minds set on seizing the Bermuda crown.

Each has stopped on the Island specifically to compete in the championships, following a tour of Europe, before continuing on to their homeland for the Pan American Games.

Altalef is in fact the Pan American junior champion, while Erichson is also a former champion in the junior division.

"I really like Bermuda and I hope to do well in the tournament,'' said the 17-year-old Altalef. "If we win it's alright but if we don't we hope to show our best.

"I can gain a lot of experience in this tournament. You never know who you will be playing and I can learn a lot from every match.'' He added that the pair were looking to accumulate points for their overall ranking and that the Bermuda tournament was one at which they could do well. A good run would also possibly boost their seedings for the Pan Am Games.

Twenty-year-old Erichson, was introduced to the sport by his father, who emigrated to the Central American nation from Denmark, which has a strong tradition in the sport.

He said that spectators can expect to see him at his absolute best, as he seeks to add further scalps to his growing collection.

"I'm going to do my best to try and snatch the tournament and give 100 percent,'' said Erichson, who already has an international sponsor in the form of English company Carlton Sports. "I'm a very physical player and am extremely fit, so I do a lot of rallies and I try to win by having the other player tire.'' He has been greatly influenced by the legendary Morten Frost, whom he had a chance to watch play several times, while in England during a one-year sojourn to train and play.

Erichson has dreams of an Olympic gold medal as well as becoming the Central American and Caribbean champion, a title at which he will get a shot at during the CAC Games later this year.

But for now he is concentrating on the task at hand...and that means winning the current tournament.

Said Erichson: "I think that every tournament should be taken as a very important part of your game and your training, because it is another way to prove how well you've done in your training.'' In addition to the Guatemalans, close to 20 members of the British Airways Club team are also in Bermuda competing in the tournament, giving it a true international flavour.

"The British have a reputation of being good players so no match is going to be easy and it's going to be hard to win the tournament,'' said Altalef.

The tournament began yesterday and continues today at 7 p.m. with the men's and women's singles and doubles semifinals as well as the first round of the mixed doubles.

Tomorrow has the veterans' doubles taking place, the semifinals of the mixed doubles as well as consolation finals.

The finals are slated for Saturday (6 p.m.).

The British Airways Club will also play a team match against Bermuda on Monday.