– GBTI, Republic Bank, Sam Barakat’s ECI already on board

By Marlon Munroe
Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) president Christopher Ram firmly believes in the worth of the private sector and says the watchword for his association will be “efficiency.”

Ram, in an exclusive interview yesterday with Stabroek Sport, said that since many of the executives in the GLTA are connected to the private sector, they also understand the need for proper infrastructure for the sport to be put in place quickly.

Ram, 64, said that the GLTA has already gotten the assurance of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) and ECI, owned by Samuel Barakat, and the body is currently in negotiations with Republic Bank Limited (RBL) to finance the construction and rehabilitation of tennis courts.

“There are plans to build two tennis courts in Bel Air Park. GBTI is going to finance one and ECI will finance the other just west of the GBTI sports club. We (GLTA) have been in discussion with the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) for this project,” the lawyer explained.

Ram, who is also a chartered accountant, revealed that the GLTA was currently in discussion with the M&CC and the volleyball association to give up the asphalt volleyball court adjacent to the Burnham Basketball Court in return for the construction of a beach volleyball facility.

He also indicated that all of these tennis courts will be public facilities that will be well maintained, especially since many consider lawn tennis as an elitist sport, a sport for the bourgeoisie.

“These courts will be community projects financed by the private sector. We are hoping with Parade Ground and the schools just southwards and you think of the community for example Tiger Bay you can get healthy youngsters coming out there to play,” Ram said.

He also wants as many persons to enjoy the sport of lawn tennis despite their economic and social standings.

“The volleyball association is giving up that area to the GLTA. We will then set up a court and we will use that as a base for a tennis court and build for them (volleyball association) a beach ball court, which you know is played on sand. We have approached the RBL as part of their development for the area and as you they financed the development of the Promenade Gardens so it is really an extension of the community work they have been doing,” Ram noted.

The volleyball court is expected to be built next to the tennis court at the Parade Ground facility.

Ram, who gained his first professional qualification in 1969, said that his association was in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Parks Commission (NPC). He said under this MOU the GLTA will secure funding for the rehabilitation of the courts in the National Park.

Further, he indicated that one of the GLTA’s vice presidents has been in discussion with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the provision of financing for the rehabilitation of these courts. However, he was aware that all of these courts are centrally located in Georgetown but he is hoping the business community and the Ministries of Education and Sport can reach a consensus to strengthen and expand the tennis programmes in schools.

Ram revealed that he was penning a letter to the Sport Minister Dr. Frank Anthony to hold a meeting with Education Minister, Shaik Baksh to discuss such plans. Initially though, Ram said that the association has targeted the New Amsterdam Multilateral and the Anna Regina Multilateral Schools for tennis courts.

Additionally, he said that the GLTA has been given a commitment by Naim Naseer of Bakewell to rehabilitate the facilities at President’s College.

Ram explained: “We are hoping to replicate this in schools across the country and that the private sector in the communities will themselves be able to put the resources to get it done.”

Meanwhile, when Ram was asked to comment on the statement coming from the Sport Ministry indicating that it was in no position to allocate more funds for lawn tennis he said that stance had changed especially since President Bharrat Jagdeo declared at the National Sports Awards ceremony that the government will expend more money for sport.