Latest update January 30th, 2025 6:10 AM
Latest News
Tennis team leaves for ITF/IBM C/ships
(From left) - Members of the Junior Tennis team Krystal Sukra, Benedict Sukra, Coach- Shelly Daly-Ramdyhan, Nicola Ramdyhan, Aruna Ramrattan and Gavin Lewis pose for Kaieteur Sport last Wednesday, at the Everest Sports Club.
– Coach Daly-Ramdyhan urges players to give 100%
By Rawle Welch
A five-member national junior tennis team left Guyana yesterday to participate in the ITF/IBM Junior International Championships which is being held in Trinidad and Tobago.
The team which is being coached by Shelly Daly- Ramdyhan includes Aruna Ramrattan, Krystal Sukra, Benedict Sukra, Aretta Dey and Judah Stephney and they will compete in the 13 and under and 18 and under divisions as well as the doubles competition.
Kaieteur Sport caught up with the team during their final practice session last Wednesday at the Everest Sports Club and sought some comments from some of the players.
Aruna Ramrattan- We’ve been preparing for sometime now and I feel that this team is perhaps the best organized in comparison with some of the others that had participated overseas before.
Ramrattan said that the Coaching Staff in collaboration with the Tennis Association have tried their best to improve the all-round standard of the game and the players and she is grateful for the opportunity to be part of the new dispensation.
She spoke of the insistence of a new diet whilst in training, a feature she regarded as a new phase in their preparations as well as the relevant pep talks conducted by expert personnel in various fields.
“We do look at all these little things as important in our preparations something that was long overdue and I know that it is only a matter of time before we begin to see the fruits of the seeds sown,” she said.
Ramrattan like the other players, however, expressed the timing of the tournament which according to her coincided with school examinations which impeded a bit with total preparations.
She did concede, however, that they’ve never trained so hard for a tournament, adding that they’ve never felt so comfortable heading into a tournament of such magnitude anytime in the past. “We were able to work more on our weaknesses, we were taught how not to lose focus and even if we do how to regain our focus even if we felt that the umpire made an error in judgment and to me all these things are important,” Ramrattan disclosed.
Sukra felt that the team is a good one and expressed optimism that they could achieve good results, all they have to do is focus on their game and believed in themselves.
“Our standard is not far off the other players, the differences are that most of them attend academies and we don’t and while we play for about a total of 8 hours per week, they play for around the same time daily.”
At least two members of the squad will remain in T&T to contest the World Juniors Tournament which commences a few days after.
Meanwhile, Daly-Ramdyhan in her comments urged everyone to be realistic, meaning that she is hoping that the players on both teams go out there and give 100% and play their natural game.
“We have to be realistic here, even though they’ve had the opportunity to prepare better physically, mentally and tactically, this is a World Tournament and players from all parts of the globe will be competing with only two spots available for our region so it will be tough for us.
Having said that, however, I still expect them to give 100% on the court, I’m looking forward to good performances, especially from a couple of players like Gavin Lewis and Daniel Lopes, both of who have shown steady improvement after every tournament,” Daly-Ramdyhan commented.
She said that the IBM Tournament is a Grade 4 competition and is a little higher that what they are accustomed to.
She also singled out Nicola Ramdyhan as one who is expected to do well, having grabbed the 12 and under title at the Coca-Cola event last year.
She extended thanks to the Pegasus Hotel, GBTI Management, Everest Sports Club and all the other entities and persons that facilitated in someway the teams’ preparations.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The third parties will not survive this year’s elections
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The fate of third parties in this year’s general and regional elections is as predictable... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
