A Special Son of Guyana’s Soil – George Braithwaite “The Chief”

Nov 01, 2020 Sports

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A Tribute by Mike Baptiste

IT TAKES a great amount of dedication for someone to participate competitively in a particular sport with the same enthusiasm for over 25 years. George Braithwaite, nicknamed “Chief”, has been in Table Tennis since 1963. And competed in the Over-50 category in the United States, until his death last Tuesday, in the USA where he lived.
His intense love for the celluloid game and being a physical fitness fanatic are two of the main attributes which this modest son of the soil possesses. George, has represented Guyana and the United States at Caribbean and World Championship levels during his international career, before quitting in 1988 from this level of competition.
When asked what keeps him going, the “Chief” replied, “I have a very strong love for the game and throughout my life I have been involved in sports. But most of all, table tennis fascinates me.
Whenever I try matching skills against other players I find it intriguing and refreshing. This in itself keeps me going”.
Before turning to tennis, Braithwaite fancied himself a 100 and 200 yard runner and represented Guyana at the 1958 West Indies Athletic Championships in Trinidad and Tobago. But it was in tennis that this remarkable man was to make his name. George left these shores in 1959 and continued to take part in athletics until 1963, when he turned to tennis.
He started out by training during his lunch break, from Mondays through Fridays, and this he modestly claims “was never with the intention of becoming a champion, but just merely to keep myself fit”.
It however turned out that he made more progress than he anticipated, and with encouragement from others, began participating in tournaments. Three years later (1966) the “Chief” returned to his homeland and took part in the Seven-Up knockout competition. But after reaching the final, he was beaten by Mike Baptiste, one of Guyana’s leading players at the time.
The next year, Braithwaite had his first taste of Caribbean tennis when he contested the Individual events of that year’s championships, in Jamaica. This time however, George changed his defensive style and adopted an attacking one. A better all-round player now, he managed’ to qualify for the semi-finals of the Men’s Singles, but lost to eventual winner, Orville Haslam of Jamaica.
Though failing to win a title on either his championships’ debut or the following year in 1968 in Trinidad and Tobago, it was clear that in future the “Chief’ would be a force at these championships.
George made his first official appearance for Guyana in 1969 and immediately proved an asset to the team. Along with Mike Baptiste and Garth Isaacs, he made a great contribution in the team event and steered Guyana to the runner-up spot behind winners Trinidad and Tobago.
That was at home at the Queen’s College Auditorium, and his performance was a hint as to what was going to take place at following championships. Two following years, Braithwaite was selected to represent the USA and thus became ineligible for the Caribbean Championships.
However, he returned five years later to once again play for his country at the National Sports Hall, and surprised many with his high standard of play and fitness.
He played unbeaten in the team event, but his arch-rival Haslam ousted him in the Men’s Singles at the semi-final stage. It was after those championships that the “Chief’ made clear his indentation of winning the Caribbean Men’s Singles crown.
And he kept his promise in 1979 in Aruba, when he defeated Barbadian Robert Earle in the final, after losing at the same stage to Mansingh Amarsingh of Trinidad and Tobago the previous year in the Twin Island Republic.
After an absence of eight years from these championships, George returned in 1988 and this “super fit” athlete was once more back in the team. His performance was the best by a Guyanese that year, but it was evident that he had become slow and had lost patience.
George was 55 at the time, but still felt he could have held his own against the best in the Caribbean for the next two years. But it was the last time the “Chief’ appeared at that level.
In addition to winning the Men’s Singles title, George also won the Men’s Doubles in 1971 and 1972 with Errol Caetano, a Canadian-based Guyanese, and in 1971 teamed up with Denise Osman to take the Mixed Doubles title.
George Braithwaite was in 2007 named the Mark Matthews Lifetime Award winner. Braithwaite’s tennis career was long and sweet. His achievements as a tennis player have made this nation’s sports history richer, and for this we say thank you. We Will Always Remember You – Rest in Peace George.

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