Former national men’s singles champion Mike Christophe yesterday paid a tribute to the late Godfrey Wray who passed away last week in the United States of America.
Despite being a sports journalist par excellence, the late Wray was also heavily involved in the sport of table tennis over the years serving the sport in various capacities.
Christophe, who had an exemplary career before he himself, like Wray, turned to sports administration, recalls his interaction with the late Guyana Chronicle Sunday Editor.
“I first met Godfrey Wray when we both were members of the GTTA, way back in the 1970s,” Christophe recalled.
“He was also named manager of the Guyana team to the second Asian, African and Latin American Games in Nigeria in 1975,” Christophe, a former national men’s singles champion added. “Godfrey was able to raise his entire expense for this trip. He was a players’ manager and was always attentive to the players needs on this very trying tour,” Christophe said.
Christophe, who was named national captain of the Guyana table tennis team at just 22-years-of age, later served as general secretary and junior vice-president of the GTTA where he was instrumental in setting up the first ranking system of the sport.
Wray too served as vice-president of the GTTA under the late Alston `Kim’ Kissoon and later, then rice magnate Beni Sankar.
Christophe said that Wray dutifully served the GTTA for at least half a century.
“He continued offering his services to the GTTA for almost 50 years serving in several positions. He will be dearly missed and his passing so quickly was a shock to me. May he rest in peace!”
