Thuraia Thomas, age 20, takes pride in representing Guyana for table tennis, but that’s not the only kind of table that interests her. An undergraduate Actuarial Sciences student, she already has her eyes set on a career outside of the sport.
“My main goal is to use table tennis as a way to catapult my career,” she says, “but I also want to continue to represent my country and the university.”
In her more than 11 years of playing, Thuraia has been a champion for Guyana. She has shown her skills at the Guyana Table Tennis Association’s (GTTA) Junior and Cadet Championships, winning titles for the Under 15 and Under 19 women’s categories in 2018 and 2019. She has also represented her country from as recently as 2022, securing a junior world ranking of 254.
“Playing at both the national and international level has been an incredible experience,” she says. “It helped me grow not just as an athlete, but as a person, especially in terms of discipline, resilience, and adaptability.”
While she is very passionate about table tennis, Thuraia also chose to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in the exacting discipline of Actuarial Science at the Department of Math and Statistics in UWI St Augustine’s Faculty of Science and Technology. Her goal is to further her academic career and receive the high-quality professional training and support that the campus offers.
However, she is still very proud to play table tennis and represent Guyana on the international stag Last year she competed in the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia, which, she says, pushed her to the limits of her potential, and gave her motivation to improve.
“The competition definitely showed me that my level is capable of reaching those of higher world rankings…and by revising my strategies, and more work on and off the table, hopefully one day, I’ll get to that level.”
Studying in Trinidad and Tobago also allows her to pursue these sporting goals. “The Trinidadian National Team has very good coaches and players at a high level, so it allows me to train and compete competitively while also not losing any play time,” she says.
“Representing my country comes with a sense of pride, but it also pushes you to a higher standard. Internationally, the level of competition is much more intense, and it really challenges you mentally and physically.”
While Thuraia competes at The UWI Games 2026, she encourages anyone interested in table tennis to pick up a ball (and paddle) and play.
