GTTA National Championships imminent

Jun 19, 2010 Sports

CHAMPIONS!!! Seated from left, GTTA General Secretary, Godfrey Munroe, Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, Director of Sport, Neil Kumar and table official, Candacy McKenzie share the moment with the various prize winners yesterday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

– officials call for event at Presentation Ceremony

By Edison Jefford

The bell for the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) to host its much-anticipated National Championships bellowed yesterday afternoon at the Presentation Ceremony for the recently held Independence tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. While Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony hauled the GTTA over the coals for what he called ‘lack of zeal’ with the decentralisation programme, other speakers such as the special guest, Henry Greene called for the national competition.
“I have been urging the association to have more tournaments. I don’t think they’re working with enthusiasm and zeal and of course I always talk about the decentralisation programme,” Anthony said, adding that he wants to see a developmental programme.
The minister informed that the Ministry of Education has trained 25 teachers to coach the sport at the schools’ level, but they are now inactive because of the absence of tables and equipment. The minister believes that will be addressed with the GTTA Stag deal.
The association had recently received a quantity of equipment from India-based, Stag as part of a sponsorship deal with the company. Anthony indicated that some of the new tables will go to the schools while other boards will be replaced at the Sports Hall.
He gave kudos to Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene for returning sports to the Police Force and his general commitment to sports. “I have seen his commitment to sports. This isn’t a one off thing,” Anthony said on the Commissioner’s involvement yesterday.
Greene thanked the GTTA for having him participate in the forum. He said that he is available to not only participate, but assist the association whenever necessary. Greene is among those tipped to lead the association after Anil Nandlall term ends this year.
“I see no reason why the National Championships cannot be run off early. It was interesting to be here on Sunday to see all those children playing and parents allowing them to play,” Greene said, before encouraging the players that gathered to keep playing.
The Police Commissioner believes that they are lots of benefits derived from being involved in a sport; among them was the fact that it helps keep young people away from social ills and helps to build them into responsible and stable adults with values.
“I feel strongly that we have to continue to lift the standards of table tennis. We’re going to bring you back and we are going to be doing a lot of nice things,” Greene told the awardees, who were mostly accompanied by Parents and coaches yesterday.
On the subject of the National Championships, Greene had echoed the sentiments of Director of Sport, Neil Kumar, who had earlier demanded that the GTTA host the event since it was overdue a long time. Kumar said he has been urging them for 10 years. “I want to see the National Championships now in all the categories. The minister has blazed me for not having it. We want better administration. For too long we have been changing Presidents of the association,” Kumar retorted in his brief remarks.
General Secretary of the GTTA, Godfrey Munroe encouraged the players to continue training so that the pool of players available for national selection would be increased. He also promised the higher echelon of officials to host the National Championships.
The highlight of the afternoon came when Chelsea Edghill, Nigel Bryan, Joel Alleyne, Natalie Cummings, Elishaba Johnson and Nevach Clarkson were recipients of lucrative cash incentives compliments of the Commissioner of Police for their performances.