Christopher Ram was returned unopposed to his post of president of the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) when the association recently staged its Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Ram outlined his immediate and long-term plans, and thanked the clubs and members for reposing confidence in him so he could consolidate strategies already developed and continue along the path to secure the ultimate goal of placing Guyana once again on the tennis map of the Caribbean.
Several new persons who actually play tennis also got a chance to become more involved in the association. They have decided to associate themselves with Tennis-Guyana in the new surge to redevelop the sport which was vibrant in the 70s
Sam Barakat, who recently formed the new “Le Ressouvenir Tennis Club”, was elected vice president and after a long absence Steve Surujbally returned as secretary while Berbice champion, Godfrey Lowden, and the president of the “Wimbledon Tennis Club”, Gilbert Barckoy, will be responsible for coordinating tournaments.
Indira Beaton leads the group tasked with developing mini-tennis while the new public relations officer (PRO) is Brian King and Anita Rampersaud was elected as the treasurer.
The executive committee of management comprises of Rawle Sue-Ho, vice president for planning and infrastructure, Grace Mc Calman, junior tennis development, and Duane Lopes is the assistant secretary-treasurer.
The AGM was divided into a business session and a statutory session. During the former, the guest speaker, Anthony Jeremiah, the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Develop-ment Officer for the English-speaking Caribbean, said that after meeting with sports officials including those from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, it was clear that tennis had a positive future in Guyana. He advised the GLTA to pursue not only private sector support, but the opportunities which avail themselves from the ITF and the Olympic Solidarity Fund – just as other Caribbean nations have done successfully. Invitees from fraternal sports organizations and from the private and public sectors expressed their enthusiasm at being asked to attend the GLTA’s AGM because it was a good gesture and they all pledged support to the in-coming GLTA executive. During the interactive part of the AGM, Conrad Plummer, former chairman of the National Sports Development Council (NSDC) emphasized the need for the history of tennis in Guyana to be documented.
Meanwhile, Dr Ian Mc Donald, one of the country’s most accomplished players, lamented that “extra-lessons” were an infliction on the nation’s youth, and underlined the need for more organized sports activities within the school system.
Nicholas Fraser, Head of the Physical Education Department of the Ministry of Education advised the GLTA to continue its programme for mini-tennis in schools which, he promised, would receive his ministry’s support.
He reminded that since 2005, aspects of sport became part of the CXC curriculum.
And businessman and sports enthusiast, Colin Ming, warned sports organizations such as the GLTA that, especially in times of recession, traditional financial supporters of sport do suffer from donor fatigue.
