Ms. Aleena Edwards completed her bachelor’s degree at the International School of Physical Education and Sports in Havana, Cuba, where she specialised in table tennis.  She went on to complete a Master of Science in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology at Bangor University, Wales, UK. Aleena is currently completing an Executive Masters in Sport Management at The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). 

Ms. Edwards is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Certified Level 3 Table Tennis Coach, as well as an ITTF Certified International Course Conductor- the first female native English speaker in the Americas to have attained this qualification.

Aleena has served as a National Table Tennis Coach at both senior and junior levels and is currently the national head coach for the junior team. She most recently spearheaded the national junior team, which won one (1) gold, one (1) silver and five (5) bronze medals at the Caribbean Junior and Cadet Championships 2015 in Dominican Republic.

Ms. Edwards is the first and only Trinidadian to win a US Open title at the age of eleven (11). She was also the country’s leading table tennis athlete, ranked 1^st on the All-Rounder Player List for winning the most national table tennis titles, with eleven (11) under her belt.

Aleena has played in Germany’s Division 2 Professional League as well as in Stockholm Sweden, where she was ranked #1 in the Junior Girls Category. She has been a main asset to the national teams representing Trinidad and Tobago and has captained most of the junior and women’s table tennis teams at several Caribbean Championships, as well as Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games. She has played in three Commonwealth Games – Manchester (2002), Australia (2006) and in Scotland (2014), where the Trinidad and Tobago women’s team finished 9^th overall. In 2013 she also participated at World Team Championships in Germany, where the women’s team placed 3^rd in their category.

Aleena was selected and played a pivotal role as a volunteer at the London Olympics and Paralympics 2012 and has also volunteered her time at other sporting events, both locally and internationally. She was a former Physical Education and Sport Officer I at the Ministry of Sport, where she promoted and developed sports throughout rural communities in the districts of St. Andrews/St. David.

Aleena brings a wealth of practical experience as an elite athlete, sport administrator and table tennis coach to the Academy of Sports.