Kheith Rhynne Cruz helped Philippine table tennis achieve new heights after capturing the WTT Youth Contender Westchester 2024 U19 girls singles division in Pleasantville, New York.
Cruz defeated Lichen Chen of the United States, 11-5, 11-13, 11-8, 12-10, to claim the title, her second WTT (World Table Tennis) youth contender crown within an eight-month span after taking the Puerto Princesa final in October of 2023.
The 17-year-old from Paco Citizen Academy Foundation went 2-0 in Group 1 after beating Louise Fan of Canada and Rachel Wang of United States, both in straight sets, and won over Daymar Castro of Puerto Rico, 11-5, 11-8, 11-4, in the semifinals.
Cruz also placed second in the U19 mixed doubles after she and Bosman Botha lost to Naresh Nandan and Rachel Wang, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9.
The Philippine Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) hailed Cruz’s latest feat, optimistic that she will continue to get better with the goal of qualifying for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“PTTF is really proud of Cruz accomplishments after winning two WTT Under 19 youth contender Championships in less than a year. We believe in her abilities, and with proper support, training and guidance, we believe that she is our best bet to represent the Philippines in the 2028 Olympics. She has a very bright future ahead of her,” said PTTF president Ting Ledesma.