National table tennis players Trenace Lowe, Nigel Bryan and Joel Alleyne along with Edinho Lewis, Denzel Hopkinson and junior Caribbean cadet silver medalist Priscilla Greaves recently completed an intensive training programme at the Lily Yip Table Tennis Training Centre in Dunellen, New Jersey. The training commenced on August 4 and ended August 20.
The centre is an International Table Tennis Federation hot spot which is used for high level training and preparation of athletes across the world and according to reports the USA Olympic players trained at the centre.
While there, the players were exposed to playing with top level Chinese and US players Adam and Judy Hugh and Yip herself, a four times Olympian who owns the facility.
In addition to strengthening technical and tactical, short play, speed and footwork drills, the players also underwent training in point management, strength training, stamina, service and its reception among other critical elements
The training was facilitated by the GTTA who funded Lowe, Bryan and Hopkinson’s participation while Lewis and Greaves were self sponsored.
A release from the GTTA stated that …”The training is part of the GTTA’s strategic objective which is to provide more exposure to training and competition for our players as a means of raising the technical and tactical elements which would make us more competitive in the international arena.
“The GTTA’s intention is to extend this type of training to all our elite level players as a means of making them more competitive and raising the standard of play,” it added.
The GTTA’s release stated that feedback suggested that the training was intense.
“The executive will be making steps to select more players to benefit from such engagements once the requisite funding is available. We are targeting China, Brazil, the USA and even countries in Europe as avenues to have our players exposed,” the release stated.
“The long term view is to have players who can win medals at world circuit events host world circuit events In Guyana and fast track the development of players,” it ended.
