Titans Table Tennis Club forging ahead with table tennis aspirations

Nov 18, 2012 Sports

‘Serving’ up benefits for young people

Former national table tennis star, Godfrey Munroe, has recently assumed the helm of the Guyana Table tennis Association following the death of its President, former Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene. The latter individual had employed shrewd strategies that changed the fortunes of local racquet wielders and Munroe will naturally find that he will be required to remain committed if only to level the performance of the late top cop.

The lifeline of the club, Dwain Dick (left) and Patrick Couchman shortly after a training session.

The club is one of the most important units in the developmental scheme of things and it was with this understanding that on October 1, 2011, two stalwarts of the sport, Dwain Dick and Patrick Couchman, teamed up to form the Titans Table Tennis Club (TTTC), an entity situated at the Red Cross building, Barrack Street Kingston.
Dick is a table tennis enthusiast and International Table Tennis Federation Certified Coach, while Couchman, a former player who has competed in the 1987 World Table Tennis Championships in New Delhi, has been bequeathed patron of the institution.
Mr. Dick said that the club evolved from an ambition to cater for the recreational and other needs of those youngsters with lots of energy but no place to release it. He said that this could prove to be dangerous so he decided to form the TTTC to alleviate the stresses that come with inactivity. “The pivotal aim of our institution is to teach, and captivate our players through a wide variety of group games, fun skill building exercises and motivational activities, Mr. Dick revealed.
He said that when the club started there were only 5 players but has now expanded to more than 40 persons playing at various levels. Among them are the likes of National Men’s Champion, Nigel Bryan, National U-18 female champion, Akeicia Nedd and U-15 school’s champion from Bishops High School, Reon Miller.
The club is also home to Miguel Wong, Priscilla Greaves and Anae Joao among others. The ages range from the youngest at 4 years old to the oldest at 72. The players commence training sessions at around 16:00hrs on weekdays while they engage in training sessions between 13:00hrs-19:00hrs on Saturdays. Mr. Dick explained that the programme incorporates table tennis as well as lessons in leadership skills, fitness, teamwork, and fair play. “We have a well rounded programme that is intended to create a rounded individual,” Mr. Dick exhorted.
The coach is ably assisted by an assistant coach, a manager, with approximately 40 players in the novice, intermediate and advanced levels, under their tutelage.
The club business is conducted through monies obtained from subscription and donations from well wishers. Mr. Dick said that he would be happy if members of corporate Guyana could pitch in with donations towards the development of the youngsters. His plans for expansion are simple, “I would soon embark on a mission to incorporate the sport into as many schools as possible with an aim of creating more opportunities for interested players,” he said.