The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) has added three more players to Guyana’s table tennis lineup that will contest the LIEBHERR 2007 World Table Tennis Championships in Zagreb, Croatia in May.
The local table tennis body had initially identified three players and a manager to attend the prestigious singles tournament scheduled for May 21-27.
The three players added include United States-based Sydney Christophe and two top local players – Christopher Franklyn and Matthew Khan.
The GTTA had earlier named United States-based Paul David, Canada-based Anson Bishpam, and the locally-based Idi Lewis to attend the games. The four-man squad has now been increased to six players and a manager.
General Secretary of the GTTA, Godfrey Munroe told Stabroek Sport yesterday that despite the unlikely occurrence of all the players identified attending, the GTTA had nevertheless sought accreditation for those players named to represent Guyana.
“What I have done provisionally is to request of the organisers to accredit the following players: Christopher Franklin, Matthew Khan, Sydney Christophe, Idi Lewis, Paul David, and Anson Bishpam,” Munroe said.
The GTTA general secretary indicated that the players added were Guyana’s best players and would certainly give the country a good representation if they could acquire the funds to participate in the tournament.
The players initially identified had agreed to pay their own way, hence the consideration given to them ahead of the other players now identified. According to Munroe, the world championships were not on the GTTA 2007 calendar of events. “These represent players of the highest calibre that I am sure will give us the best possible representation if they can acquire funding to go,” Munroe said, adding that the opportunity to represent Guyana was extended to a group of elite players.
In making the decision to add players to attend the world table tennis contest, the GTTA examined several factors.
“In addition to cost, the quality of the players representing us, their performance in international tournaments, their world rankings, availability of funding and the ability to realise same for this venture were some of the major considerations taken in arriving at the players to represent us,” Munroe explained.
He also apologised to the top local players on behalf of the association for initially leaving them off the list and assuming the inability of the players to raise their own funds.
The tournament in Croatia also offers the local association an opportunity to lobby for support from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), since the ITTF’s General Meeting will be held during the tournament.
The GTTA general secretary called on local players to understand the association’s position on the world championships and the various constraints that face the association in sending teams overseas.
“Players are not understanding the realities and lay blame solely at officials’ feet, however, I understand their frustration but I am hopeful that this can settle all the doubts so there are no feelings of victimisation arising in players,” he said.
In light of the high level of competition expected at the world championships, Munroe took the opportunity to urge all the players to train consistently and make full use of the opportunity to play at the world meet.
