A former White House Fellow, a former Caribbean men’s singles champion and a former Caribbean junior boys’ singles champion are the latest to air their views on the selection controversy of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA).
The Selection Committee of the GTTA on Monday named their men and women’s teams and veteran and U-21 players to participate in the 54th annual Caribbean TT championships which commences later this month in Santo Domingo.
But the omission of three of the country’s top players two-time National men’s singles champion and former Caribbean Grand Prix winner Godfrey Munroe, former Caribbean junior boys’ champion Idi Lewis and Christopher Franklyn along with the selection of overseas-based racquet wielder Paul David has led to a flurry of opinions by the TT stars of yesterday most of whom live abroad.
Former White House Fellow and old boy of Queen’s College Eric Phillips, who represented Guyana at cricket, soccer and table tennis, said it seems as if sports are owned by a few.
“I have lived in Guyana for the last seven years and because of my focus on social justice, I have stayed away from sports which I saw as very poorly managed and politically motivated,” said Phillips.
He added:” Having said that….I believe one of the earlier commentators shared a list of prerequisite qualifications for all players. Guyana should have standard selection criteria that everyone, including foreign athletes adhere to. The Jamaica Olympic team has standard requirements to be selected whether you are Usain Bolt or a street urchin.
“In Guyana, we are surrounded by corruption and mediocrity. We nurture, reward and promote both of these. I disagree with the current practice that players represent Guyana because their parents or family can pay for the trip while a better more deserving player who can’t afford it is left home.
“It also seems as if sports in Guyana are owned by a few. Our National female soccer team is an example. I also must congratulate the GTTA for the many game development activities that they have implemented over the last few years. Credit is due.”
Former Caribbean men’s singles champion Sydney Christophe, who said he has been paying keen interest to the debate, is of the view that a stated selection policy should be communicated early enough to all stakeholders. He questioned whether the players were given adequate notice of the GTTA’s position on funding and also wondered what would happen if a player on the team was unable to fund his or her airfare to the championships.
Former national men’s singles champion Andy Anderson, responding to a previous newspaper report by Mike Christophe, where he supported the GTTA for selecting a team with the future in mind, said he disagreed with that position.
“I disagree with the idea of picking a young team “with the future in mind”; this kind of thinking can only serve contention, unfairness, subjectivity and various self-interests,” Anderson argued.
“If we really want to be altruistic we should pick a team purely based on merit… In fact any future can “perhaps” be best served by merit and reward: no ambiguity! This notion of reward based on merit (I believe) can actually help create aspiration, inspiration and even encourage morality! Clearly, the rewards to players who participate now in Guyana are creating an interest in table
in Guyana that I have never seen before. Table Tennis may well be the most commonly played sport in Guyana right now! Kudos GTTA!!!!
Anderson suggested that the GTTA immediately move to implement the following:-
i) Clear criteria for selection, tournaments…
ii) Publish these criteria and keep restating it
iii) The criteria must be so definite that it leaves little or no room for misinterpretation in its administration.
iv) The criteria must be results oriented and based on deriving the best team now!
v) As for reward, GTTA keep up the good work!
Owen `Wilco’ Wilkinson, another former national player and Young Achievers Club member, said a team’s selection for participation in a major tournament should have criteria set by the respective committees prior to the trials and team selection.
According to Wilkinson, players must have participated in at least one tournament prior to the trials and only the top four players should be selected. If a player does not participate in the trials, he/she should not be considered for selection.
“Selection should not be based on past performances but rather on how you performed at the trials,” Wilkinson argued.
“It is unfair to have an athlete training hard in anticipation of representing his country, come out on top at the trials and be left off the team in favor of another who is ranked higher. Of course there will be exceptions. If an athlete resides overseas; is unable to attend the trials and is ranked higher or is on par with those of the other countries participating; then he should be considered and not necessarily selected. The above mentioned exception should be stated prior to the trials in fairness to all participants,” said Wilkinson.
Former national men’s singles champion Mike Baptiste said he believes that Paul David should not have been selected on the men’s team.
“Paul has not done enough at the Caribbean Championships he has played and in addition, his performance in the US is minimal, not enough for him to be selected on no Guyana team without coming and playing trials. We had George Braithwaite and Errol Caetano. George came home once and played trials. Other than that we had to stop it because he was too good. Caetano never played at home.
He came in 1971 lost in the semi finals in Jamaica then in ‘72 he won the men’s singles by beating Robert Earle,” Baptiste recalled.
Brian O’ Reilly, another former Young Achievers Club member, said the GTTA needs to set established rules and procedures about selection while former Caribbean junior boys’ singles champion Christopher Chung-Wee wrote:”Could you tell the GTTA that I won a competition at the College where I teach and at my Church, so I’m in fine mettle. I don’t have a ranking yet, but I’m working on it at the local level here. I think I can beat the eight and under US champion with some luck and hard training, so that should go a long way to qualify me for the Guyana team.”
