Last year a team from the Guyana Police Force (GDF) spearheaded by Sergeant Andrew Daly, former national table tennis player, sprung a surprise and won the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) Inter-Ministry/Corporation tournament.
Since then a number of changes have taken place in the sport namely the death of former Commissioner of Police Henry Greene who was GTTA president at the time and whose place has been taken by two-time national men’s singles champion Godfrey Munroe.
Greene was also a member of the victorious Police team, a team which included former national player Gary Pratt and senior Superintendent of Police Clifton Hicken.
Daly, who also won the singles competition, will not be competing this time around and his absence will severely weaken the Police team who will no longer start as favourites in their title defence.
The team to beat this year will undoubtedly be the NP Electronics team spearheaded by Michael Vieira, Merton Blake and Xenophen Goliath. The two veteran players of proven calibre will receive support from the steady Andre De Abreu, whose father, the late Ken De Abreu, was himself a former president of the GTTA.
Munroe last night told Stabroek Sport that some 13 teams have already registered adding that more are expected to register this morning prior to the 10am start.
Another team to watch is the Guyana Defence Force team, who though they will be without star player Rono Joseph, will still have the services of Lieutenant Marvin Chichester and Devon Richmond while GuySuCo’s team will include Dr Pradeep Balram and Floyd Conway.
In the singles competition all eyes will be on Ray `Copter’ Anderson, a savvy player who previously reached the finals after steering the Kashif and Shanghai organization to the team title.
Entrance fee per team is $3000 and all active national players will not be allowed to compete.
Trophies will be awarded to the top three teams while certificates will be given to teams winning their groups.
Teams expected to compete today are:- Banks DIH, Courtney Benn Contracting Company, Ansa Mc Al, Cummings Electrical, Guyana Beverage Company Limited, Machinery Incorporated, Demerara Distillers Limited, Guyana Industrial Corporation, Guyana Police Force , Guyana Defence Fo
rce, Guyana Prison Service, Guyana Bank for Trade Industry and Commerce, CARICOM, National Bank for Industry and Commerce, Chinese Embassy, Bank of Nova Scotia, United States Emba
ssy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bank of Guyana, Ministry of Education, Guyana Police Force, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Guyana Power and Light, Neal and Massy Group of Companies, Guyana Telecommunication and Telegraph Company, Continental Group of Companies, John Fernandes Company Limited and the Guyana Revenue Authority.
