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Munroe should make the truth public
By Edison Jefford
I was taken aback yesterday when I learnt that the General Secretary of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) has distant himself from a recent interview with Kaieteur Sport where he disclosed a particular national tennis team.
This development surprised me because I now have to question the character, leadership and professionalism of Godfrey Munroe. I will leave his relationship with Stabroek Sport alone because I believe it is none of my business.
But it is obvious that, for whatever reason(s), Stabroek Sport continues to intimidate the otherwise pristine administrator. Before details are divulged, I want to urge Munroe to be honest and clear the air on this development.
I contacted Munroe last week in relation to the senior national table tennis team that will compete at the Caribbean Championships in Cayenne, French Guiana, from July 20-26 and he disclosed two different groups.
Godfrey Munroe
Munroe sent me a list of several players that were short-listed via email then he gave me, because I had asked for specific players for the various divisions: the Men’s, Women’s and Master’s teams including the Under-21 players.
The article with the national team appeared in the June 19, 2009 edition of Kaieteur Sport and gave a true account of my telephone interview with Munroe, who then referred to the report as “inaccurate” in Stabroek Sport yesterday.
The news item in that section of the print media was headlined “GTTA’s Munroe slams misleading Kaieteur News article” and, according to that story, Munroe blamed the piece in this newspaper for creating “chaos and confusion”.
Munroe should not have given Kaieteur Sport the team if he knew it would have created “chaos and confusion” among players. He did not give the team in confidence because he was aware that it would have been published.
There is a certain table tennis aficionado at the Stabroek Sport who is often perturbed at any scoop this newspaper gets in the sport. This individual and Munroe have a very close relationship but that should not influence decisions.
Munroe told this newspaper that Michelle John, on scholarship at Linwood University in the United States, is available and will join Trenace Lowe, Jody-Ann Blake and Natalie Cummings on the Women’s team.
He said the Men’s team includes international campaigner, Idi Lewis, the United States–based, Paul David, Christopher Franklyn and Mathew Khan. Colin France and US-based, Sydney Christophe are on the Masters’ team.
Munroe informed that the Caribbean Federation has introduced a new Under-21 category into the Championships and as such, the GTTA have selected Nigel Bryan and Trenace Lowe to bring honours in the grouping.
“It is misleading I don’t know how he came up with that [the teams]” Munroe reportedly told that other newspaper, conscious of the fact that he gave me the ‘right’ teams. It is an uncharacteristic, unethical and corrupt practice.
I want observers in this furore to take keen notice of the team outlined here and also pay attention to its publication in other sections of the media in the coming weeks to monitor whether there will be any deviations from these teams.
There will not be any! Unless the association wilfully makes changes to disprove our case that the team is already named and our story was accurate. Changes to the teams would be a decision to play with definite misfits.
Munroe is an outstanding administrator that has received much success with the sport but this development can spoil his credibility unless he makes public the truth on what really occurred during his interview with Kaieteur Sport last week.
The General Secretary cannot conciliate everyone during his administration of the sport. He should remember the words of Bill Cosby: “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody”.
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