…Guyanese racquet wielder short on funding
By Gary Tim
New York (SMS) — For seven weeks she has been smashing forehands and backhands and top-spinning her way to ping-pong stardom in the USA – sure signs of a table tennis champion.
But now Guyana’s Trenace Lowe is staring at the surety of her chances to prove to be one of the best junior players in the hemisphere spiral to a copping.
The national U-18 champion’s ascension in the regional ranks is being dealt a back-handed smash with the likelihood of her missing next week’s Pan American Youth Table Tennis Championships in Chile. Lowe who is in the middle of an overseas training stint, may be a no-show due to insufficient funding of her trip to the September 28-30 meet, and has little chance of buffing her coffers in just two days to flight time.
“We were hoping to leave on Saturday because it’s an 18-hour flight from here (the USA),” she said. But, if a philanthropically generous godparent or godparents do not step forward in the hours remaining, she and her manager-coach Dianne Chance will have to “merely reflect on what could have been.
“I really wanted to go, ‘cause I know I could have done Guyana well and boost my standings,” Lowe told Stabroek Sport.
At press time Lowe’s airfare was tagged at US$1700, while Chance, who has to fly out of Canada, would have to stump US$2000 for hers. And, any suitors for sponsorship would be happy to know that Lowe simply wants to just get there, perform and give mileage to the sponsor(s). “We are looking for the cheapest way there and back, and once I’m there I’m going to do what I got to do, that’s’ to win.”
She is buoyed by advice to seek the direction of the Guyanese diplomatic community in the diaspora for a last minute plod at getting the much need funds. “This is the second championships I am going to miss. Last year I didn’t get to go to it in Canada, and now it looks like I am not getting there again.” Lowe and three Puerto Ricans are the only Caribbean players selected for the Chile event.
Lowe’s pickle came from the late arrival of a memo of credence from her national association in Guyana, and that effectively reduced her options to source the necessary aid, especially in the USA. “First of all I heard that in August the association was going to raise the money with help from the guys around table tennis here in the States,” she said. The letter was vital for them to do so, and that came late, “I thought they would get it early and I would get to go ‘cause I was training, just training to make sure that I ready for the tourney.” The defending Caribbean U-21 Ladies champion got to New York in early August, and trains at the Wang Chen Club in Manhattan and the Brownsville Sports Center in Brooklyn. She has already played in two major tourneys, winning one – The Westfield Open in New Jersey, and feels mentally and physically ready. “My chances in Chile would be good because I remember playing in Colombia with some junior world players and I ended up in the final 16, so I think I have a good chance of doing well at this level.”
Those sentiments were shared by outstanding Guyanese racquet wielder Paul David. “She was very excited because I was practicing with her getting her ready for the tournament and then when I spoke to her about the new development she was very disappointed.” David who ‘lashes’ with Lowe at the Manhattan venue, said she looks in championship form. “Oh! Absolutely, she’s been convincing and in top form and she won a tournament only last week.”
Since in the USA she has ‘hooked up’ with fellow junior racquet whiz Michelle John who is on scholarship to Lindenwood University. “Yes I saw her at one tournament, but she left to go back to Missouri for college, and I have the twins Brandon and Brad Belle, Sydney (Christophe) and Andrew (Gosira),” she said, adding other past and present names in Guyanese table tennis circles in the USA.
Lowe said she also intends to participate in the high-status Baltimore Tournament in Maryland in November before returning to Guyana by year’s end for a month. “When I come back in January, I also want to start my scholastics upgrading to get into college.” But, right now her mind is looped on Chile, and she looks for financial help to be served pen=-holder style or otherwise.
