A Tribute to Claire Harris-Thomas

Jan 13, 2013 Sports

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By Mike Baptiste
Just over a month ago Guyana lost one of its table tennis stalwarts, the indomitable Claire Harris-
Thomas. After a prolonged illness, Harris-Thomas succumbed at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital on December 12, 2012.
Her death, although a shock to close relatives, went virtually unknown to many in the local table tennis fraternity. Former national table tennis champion and National Coach, Mike Baptiste in a glowing tribute to his former colleague described her as the pioneer in local female table tennis area.

To purists, Claire Harris might not have appeared to possess the style or grace of movement that makes a great table tennis player. But her self-confidence, determination and the ability to reach deep down inside for that final winning effort, whenever the chips were down, more than compensated for any inadequacy, and made her our first truly great female table tennis player.
Many were the times that these qualities served her in good stead and took her from the jaws of defeat and into winner’s row.
Claire’s career as a National player began in 1960 and ended prematurely, perhaps in 1965. During those six years, she carved a name for herself and her country at the Caribbean level.
Like most tennis players at that time, Claire learnt the game on a piece of particle board under her home on Church Street, and not long after represented her school, St. Joseph’s.
Born January 24, 1945, she got her first taste of top-level tennis at the National Championships in 1960, but she lost in the women’s final to Audrey Shonelkar of England, who was based in Guyana at the time. That same year she made her international debut at the third Caribbean Championships in Barbados, where, despite not winning a title, she managed to impress with her fighting qualities.
The following year, at the same championships, this time in Trinidad and Tobago, Claire showed that she had learnt from her previous tour. She reached the Women’s Singles final, but was beaten by Trinidadian Petal Lee Loy, the best player in the Caribbean at that time.
Undaunted however, Claire returned to Barbados for the 1962 championships and in tandem with her elder sister Margaret, won the Women’s team title to give Guyana its first title at these games in any category.
At these championships, Claire achieved stardom. She won the prized Women’s Singles crown, defeating Monica De Souza, and completed the triple by teaming up with Margaret to take the Women’s Doubles – making a clean sweep of the ladies’ titles.
Come 1963, in Jamaica, Claire, now a fully matured racquet wielder met Joy Foster, who is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest National player. Foster was to become her biggest foe for the next two years.
Foster made her debut in 1960 at the age of eight, and like Claire, developed into a top class player.
At the championships that year, Guyana had to settle for the runner-up spot in the team event behind Jamaica – Joy Foster being Jamaica’s trump card in this victory.
Foster also went on to take the Women’s Singles that year, after getting past Claire in the semi-finals. But the Women’s Doubles crown went to Claire and Margaret, who demolished Foster and De Souza in the final.
Representing her country on home turf for the first time in 1964, at Queen’s College, when Guyana hosted the Caribbean Championships, Claire gave local fans a frightening display of power tennis.
She smashed her way to the Ladies’ Sing1es crown, disposing of De Souza in the semi-finals and her sister Margaret in the final. Margaret had earlier ousted Foster in the other semi-final encounter.
The two later came back to win the Women’s Doubles for the third consecutive time, by beating the Jamaican pair of Foster and De Souza. However, Jamaica had the distinction of winning the Women’s team title.
Claire’s final appearance for her country was in Trinidad and Tobago and despite losing to Foster in the semi-finals of the Singles, she played unbeaten in the team event to steer Guyana to the crown. She also once again teamed up with Margaret to claim the Women’s Doubles.
For her outstanding performances, Claire was voted Sports-woman of the Year on no less than three occasions, 1961, ’63 and ’64.
But what were the secrets of this player’s success? Unlike most, she had great determination, and was never one to distress herself over any mistake she might have made during competition, instead, she always kept thinking about the next point.
She also possessed an uncommon quality. The fear of defeat has led many a player down the wrong road, but this motivated Claire. The more scared she was of losing the better she performed.
Surprisingly, Claire was never as dominant on the local scene as she was at Caribbean Championships. At home, she more often than not played second fiddle to Margaret and Barbara De Abreu (Barbara Jekir). She won the National crown only once, in 1963.
After voluntarily ending her tennis career, Claire turned to badminton, and as in tennis, immediately made an impact. She was crowned National Singles champion four times before calling it a day in 1970. She also won the National Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles during her stint in this game.
Claire married to Winston Thomas and was the proud mother of three daughters, Barbara, Jeanette and Beverley. She did a stint teaching blind children at the Unit for the Visually Impaired, at St. Rose’s High School.
Claire’s tennis career was short but sweet. Her achievements as a tennis and badminton player have made this nation’s sports history richer, and for this we say thank you.
Rest in Peace Claire.

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