Latest update April 9th, 2025 12:59 AM
Humphrey speaks out
By Rawle Welch
Carol Humphrey
Newly crowned Pegasus Open Ladies tennis champion Berbician Carol Humphrey is in full support of sentiments expressed by Men’s champion Phillip Squires.
Squires in a previous interview with Kaieteur Sport spoke of the low standard of the game presently and called on the new executive to do all in its power arrest the decline.
The 45 year-old Humphrey easily defeated Shauna Gentle to take the crown in a match that she described as lacking intensity. “There was no intensity in the game I was not required to be on top of my game and these are players currently under the guidance of the national coach,” Humphrey said.
She criticised the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) for expending all efforts to just expose one coach over the years and called on them to be more transparent in their selections.
She said that there are a few more coaches around, but they do not seem to factor into the reckoning of the GLTA Executive whenever opportunities arise to send coaches to courses overseas.
“Just imagine if the current national coach should migrate, would that not leave a void in the game locally, so to my mind that is very short-sighted on their part,” Humphrey reasoned.
She cited the lack of respect for the others who’ve all made their contributions to the current junior circuit.
“I’ve had successes as well, just recently Berbicians Brian Ramsudh won the 12 and under division and came runner-up in the 14’s, while Tonya Niamatali ended runner-up in the Girls 14’s, losing to another Berbician, who currently resides in Georgetown,” Humphrey indicated.
She also spoke of Nadia Cox, who made it to the quarter-finals of the 14’s and 18’s divisions, all of whom is coached by her.
Humphrey said that it appears as though there is some degree of bias for players residing in Georgetown and if the sport is to experience any degree of growth, a strategy to involve and expose other resource personnel from outside of the Capital must be devised and implemented.
“Our players are not even given the opportunity to attend trials when teams are being selected to participate in regional competitions,” Humphrey disclosed.
Another point of note according to her is that on many occasions, no correspondence pertaining to coaching courses is ever forwarded to her and that clearly shows some sort of indifference.
She called for a change in the manner in which teams are selected which is normally who could afford it will go.
That she added is not a true representation of a national team which should be picked on merit.
The outspoken Humphrey pointed out that with some members of the old executive still around, her hope for a change in the game’s fortune here is not high.
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