– says Munroe
By Donald Duff
The Clifff Anderson Sports Hall took on the look of a competition venue yesterday as the start of the eagerly-anticipated 13th annual Junior Caribbean and Cadet championships draws near.
Six tables were set up surrounded by barriers and there was a noticeable improvement to the lighting system at the venue when Stabroek Sport paid a visit yesterday.
General Secretary of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) Godfrey Munroe, said last evening that the GTTA was basically in “go mode.”
“We’re basically in a go mode. Through the National Sports Commission (NSC) there has been some adjustment to some of the lights, the final preparations for barriers are underway and we are still working out some details for sponsorship as for a tournament of this nature, expenditure can be quite hefty.”
Munroe said the NSC spent approximately G$470,000 to fix the lights and it had also sponsored the trophies.
In addition, he said, the NSC would sponsor the meals for the teams for one day.
Other companies and organizations have also come on board including Nigel’s Supermarket, a longstanding friend of the GTTA, John Fernandes Ltd.,Clifton Bacchus of Sleepin’ and Food For The Poor, said Munroe.
The championships will also serve as a qualification tournament for teams and individuals desirous of participating at the World Junior TT championships scheduled for Auckland, New Zealand and the World Cadet TT championships to be held in Sweden.
Both tournaments are scheduled for November.
Munroe said the first three Junior and Cadet teams in the boys and girls’ divisions and the four semi-finalists in singles play would qualify for a play off to be held in Cartegena, Colombia in July among the respective winners from Central and South America to determine the qualifiers for the two World tournaments.
Munroe added that the Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Federation (CRTTF) had ruled that there would be no special dispensation for Puerto Rico and Cuba who will miss those championships.
According to Munroe, the two countries had written the CRTTF requesting byes so as to enable them to participate in the qualification tournament in Colombia, but Munroe said the CRTTF had ruled that the two countries, which are in the Caribbean zone, would have to duke it out in the tougher Latin American zone.
Meanwhile, Munroe said the first team Curacao, would be arriving at 10.45pm tonight with the remaining teams expected tomorrow.
The tournament will get underway Friday morning from 9am with play in the team events while the opening ceremony will be held Friday evening.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony will deliver the feature address while president of the CRTTF, Stanley Hunte, of Trinidad and Tobago and Director of Sport, Neil Kumar, are also scheduled to speak.
Munroe said all that remained was a “few logistical things to iron out.”
“I think basically the team tournament presents a good challenge at the junior level,” he said.
Guyana ‘s brightest hopes of medals will lie with Michelle John and Trenace Lowe who will spearhead the girls’ team’s quest for titles with support from Tiffany Blair, Ambrose Thomas and the Rampersaud twins Angel and Angelina.
Other key players who will be on show include Darwin Walcott, Nigel Bryan, who stands an excellent chance of being among the medals in the cadet division, Ronaldo Bharrat and Warren Hackshaw.
The Cadet (U-15) boys’ challenge will come from Denzil Hopkinson, Samuel Fraser, Denzel Duff and Stephan Patoir and the girls’ from Adielle Rosheuvel, Chelsea Edghill, Britany Prescod and Cheryl Duncan.
