GTTA makes case for ‘Sports Association of the Year’

Jan 29, 2012 Sports

By Edison Jefford
The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) has made a strong case for the National Sports Commission’s (NSC) ‘Sports Association of the Year’ Award stating that it has managed to meet, and in some instances, surpass its set objectives last year.
The ‘GTTA Plans and Objectives’ for last year included: to increase the number of players by 50 percent; to improve the competitive structures for players at all levels by hosting more tournaments and coaching sessions; improve the infrastructure and accessibility to the sport; improve the revenue generation capacity and plans of the sport; to have a nucleus of students and teachers trained to create an integrated Coaching Programme that incorporates the coaches’ education and players’ development; to indentify players for future training and teach them the most recent table tennis techniques; to train administrators and officials to enhance the administrative structures of the sport; marketing; constitutional reform and the provision of exposure and training frequency technically and tactically for national players for athletes.

GTTA Officials along with officials from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and Digicel pose with the various awardees following the Digicel Schools Table Tennis Championships.

One of the major target areas for the association last year was the decentralization of the sport, which was a key component of its Strategic Plan that was aimed at spreading the base of the sport, bringing more players to the fore, increasing the competitive levels of the sport and making the sport accessible.
The association’s trump card last year was its hosting of the 53rd Senior Caribbean Championships in Guyana where the GTTA received raved reviews and a gold medal from Caribbean and Regional Table Tennis Federation (CRTTF) President, Juan Villa for hosting a successful championship.
In addition, 40 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Level I Coaches were trained and the association’s ‘Tables for School’s Development Programme’ continued, furthering the distribution of 22 tables from the initial Stag grant. President’s College, Sophia Special School, West Demerara, Charlestown Secondary, North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary among other schools benefitted from the GTTA’s ‘Buy a Table Project’. The second Stag equipment grant has already been paid for by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the NSC, which will ensure that more tables and equipment are available to be distributed to schools.
The association’s Decentralization Programmes took effect with the establishment of functional committees in Linden, Berbice, Essequibo, Bartica, Corriverton and West Demerara. In line with this programme and training of ITTF accredited coaches, umpires were also trained under the auspices of the ITTF.
ITTF International referee and umpire, Delano Lai-Fatt completed a four-day Level I umpires’ certification course at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall before the GTTA prepared to host the Caribbean Championships in August. As host, the GTTA had the responsibility of providing match umpires, which made the certification a timely initiative.
Lai-Fatt said that officiating plays a very important role in the development of sport and in the smooth staging of major events. The ITTF expert mentioned that the Level I course is a stepping stone for persons aiming to move on to further officiating certification.
Lai-Fatt, who is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese, also conducted similar courses in territories associated with the Latin American Table Tennis Union ( LATTU) such as Colombia, Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. Of the 25 persons that participated in the course, 20 succeeded with Basic Umpires certification.
The NSC-sponsored GTTA Mashramani Championships commenced the 2011 calendar of events for the association. Over 300 players participated from different administrative regions in this tournament. The NSC-sponsored Independence Championships followed the Mashramani competition.
For the second year, the Guyana Police Force sponsored a veterans’ championship. A national table tennis team departed in March for a tri-nation tourney and ‘Developmental Engagement’ in Suriname. The engagement also included host, Suriname and French Guiana.
The event came out of a bilateral agreement between the Suriname Table Tennis Association and the GTTA to assist Suriname with the resuscitation of the sport there. The GTTA assisted Suriname with technical expertise and coaching especially.
Guyana sent a 16-man delegation to the 16th Caribbean Junior and Cadet Caribbean championships. The team showed some amount of form to emerge with bronze in San German, Puerto Rico. The Guyanese finished third in both the Under-18 and Under-15 team events in the tournament.
Despite being depleted with the absence of seasoned players, Priscilla Greaves and Jamaali Homer in the Girls U- 15 due to examination, Junior Sportswoman and Caribbean Cadet champion, Chelsea Edghill spearheaded the local girls that included, Olivia Weekes and Kristie Lopes toward a bronze medal.
The Boys U-18 spearheaded by Nigel Bryan, Brad Belle, Denzil Hopkinson, and Denzel Duff defeated Jamaica 3- 0 in the final. Against Caribbean powerhouses, Puerto Rico, they lost 0-3, while the team went down 1-3 to the Dominican Republic. They walked away with third place.
Guyana secured another medal, silver in the U-18 Boys’ Doubles competition with the duo of Nigel Bryan and Denzil Hopkinson.
Momentum was then shifted to the 53rd Caribbean Championships, following which all regional stakeholders had agreed that the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) hosted an excellent championship. The Championships attracted 10 teams from the Caribbean and Latin America to compete. Guyana placed third overall in the contests.
Apart from Villa conferring a gold medal on Guyana for a well-hosted event, the visiting ITTF Umpires Instructor, Lai Fatt, said that the order at the tournament was second to none he had witnessed worldwide. He publicly stated that the standard of the competition was high and it was well organised.
Following that event, the GTTA successfully participated in a goodwill training exchange in collaboration with the National Sports Commission for cadet and junior players from Tobago and Guyana. ITTF Course Instructor/USA-based Guyanese, Sydney Christophe, Linden Johnson and Tobago Coach, Dexter Abbott conducted the camp for the budding players.
Those players had their opportunity to showcase their talents when the Digicel-sponsored National Schools Table Tennis Tournament returned. The tournament unearthed lots of new talent in the sport. There number of upsets suggests that there is a new competitive structure in the sport.
The respective winners of the tournament were as follows in respective order; Under-10 Teams– Mae’s ‘A’, North Georgetown Primary and Mae’s ‘B’; Under-13 Teams- Queen’s College ‘A’, St. Rose’s High, Mae’s ‘A’ and St. Stanislaus College; Under-15 Teams- New Amsterdam Multilateral ‘A’, St. Joseph High, Mae’s ‘A’ and St. Rose’s High, Under-18 Teams- The Business School, Queen’s College, Mae’s ‘A’ and Bishops’ High School while Stefan Corlette and Elishaba Johnson won the Fair Play Award.
Most Outstanding Female players were Chelsea Edghill and Akeicia Nedd, while Joshua Lalbachan and Bryton Murray from New Amsterdam Multilateral were adjudged the ‘Most Outstanding Male Players’.
Aaliyah Giordano and Ambika Ramraj from Queens College received accolades after being adjudged the ‘Most Improved Players’ in the female category, while Shavin Greene and Scott Garraway received prizes for the same accolade in the male category.
Bartica Secondary School (Most Disciplined) and Queen’s College (Best Dressed) were rewarded while the top eight schools were: Mae’s, Queen’s College, New Amsterdam Multilateral, The Business School, St. Rose’s High, North Georgetown Primary, St. Stanislaus College and Bishops’ High School.
The GTTA has shortlisted players emerging from this tournament for participation in structured training programmes as a means of harnessing their talents.
The association then hosted its annual Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI)-sponsored Inter Organisation championships at the Queens College Auditorium. The tournament is geared toward providing the environment for networking among corporate entities and improving healthy lifestyles for professionals.
Guyana Police Force ‘A’ team emerged victorious in the finals. Police Officer’s Mess ‘A’ team had placed second while Police Officer’s Mess ‘B’ was third in the competition. Andrew Daly won against Warren Hackshaw 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 and 11-7 in Singles competition.
The association wrapped up a busy year with the biggest local tournament, the National Table Tennis Championships. Banks DIH sponsored the tournament under its Powerade brand. Most of the senior seasoned national players did not compete in the male category, which saw Nigel Bryan becoming perhaps the youngest national champion Guyana has produced at just 18 years old. Trenace Lowe won the female title after a keenly contested final against Natalie Cummings.