The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) is making plans to send a four-man team to participate in the LIEBHERR 2007 World Table Tennis Championships from May 21-27 in Zagreb, Croatia.
From all indications the local team’s participation looks certain and this would be the second team of its kind to participate at the prestigious event. A three-man team went to the championships in Paris, France four years ago.
General Secretary of the GTTA, Godfrey Munroe, told Stabroek Sport Monday that overseas-based players Paul David (USA) and Anson Bishpam (Canada) along with locally-based top racket wielder Idi Lewis and an official, will comprise Guyana’s four-man team.
Munroe, Lewis and Orin Hickerson participated in the event four years ago in Paris. The GTTA general secretary stressed the importance of participating in world class tournaments such as the upcoming World Table Tennis Championships in Croatia.
According to Munroe, it is absolutely necessary for Guyana to compete at world-rated tournaments because of the likelihood of improved seeding at regional and local tournaments.
“When you attend tournaments such as these and you return home to play in regional tournaments, they use your world ratings to seed you,” Munroe said, adding that the aim is to “pick up” world points that will boost Guyana’s regional standing.
Currently Guyana is ranked 86th in the world with 87 points, according to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), which ranks teams according to the three top players in a respective country.
Guyana’s three top players according to the ITTF is David with a rating of 5537, Lewis with 5513 and Mathew Khan with a 5347 rating.
David is ranked 699th in the world while Lewis and Khan are ranked 730 and 954 respectively.
However, despite his world rating, Khan has not been given the nod ahead of the unseeded Bishpam who has been a regular feature recently on the Guyana national table tennis team.
Also missing out is Christopher Franklyn a member of the GTTA’s team to last year’s CAC Games in Cartegena, Colombia.
Meanwhile, Munroe indicated that the ITTF’s Annual General Meeting would be held during the Croatia championships. He said that the ITTF gives each association an opportunity to lobby and voice its concerns.
“The last time we went to the World Championships, we benefited from six tables from the ITTF. We will make a similar lobby in May,” he said.
He, however, did not name the official who is to be the fourth member of the team.
Without actually stating that he will accompany the team, Munroe said that he would be considering the option. He said that meals and accommodation are free for players but not officials.
“A manager, coach and delegate are allowed to accompany players to the event but Guyana will be looking to occupy only one of the slots, probably in the capacity of manager or delegate,” he said.
