It is just over two months since the election of a new executive for the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association, with me almost thoughtlessly accepting responsibility for its leadership.
It will probably sound like a contradiction, but it has been both challenging and exciting.
During the period, we have successfully co-sponsored two top tournaments covering close to one hundred games, in 20 categories, involving approximately 50 players and extending over 20 days. We also held a mini-tennis tournament for the age groups Under-10 and Under-eight in which six schools and about a dozen juniors participated. That is part of the excitement.
Our executive is not oblivious to the fact that Guyana was once ranked among the leading Caribbean countries in the game of tennis, regularly hosting and winning regional tournaments; that recently it has suffered from a lack of attention, a shortage of volunteers, administrators and officials, as well as financial and other resources; that consequently, there are now fewer players engaged in tennis, reduced opportunities for playing as many former facilities have fallen into disuse, and a marked slowing down of the development of the sport.
Administratively, the GL T A relies entirely on donations and volunteers, does not have the barest of facilities, no guaranteed access to tennis courts for coaching, and no meeting place for its executives or the storage of records. Over the past couple of years, on-going renovation at the Non Pareil facilities has limited the number of venues for tournaments mainly to the privately owned Guyana Pegasus. Cumulatively, these constitute huge challenges.
And to add to them, even before the new executive could begin work, we were the subject of harsh, public but factual criticisms from respected members of the tennis community, concerned about the state of tennis in the country.
We have engaged those and other persons in discussion not only on their criticisms and concerns but their role in the solutions.
We are heartened by their response.
To the criticism that the G in the GLTA is Guyana and not Georgetown, at the first opportunity and on the first vacancy that arose on the executive,
Berbician businessman Anthony Amerally was appointed Vice-President and I have asked him to spearhead a Berbice Sub-Committee of the executive.
Despite the huge challenges, the sport survives largely due to the dedication and commitment of a number of individuals, a handful of coaches, some private sector actors, support of the regional tennis body and the natural talent of some of our players. We need to build on these slender resources. The executive committee has prepared and will formally put to the association’s AGM in late January 2010 a bold and ambitious plan for the development of tennis in Guyana over the next two years, a plan that should see Guyana once again returning to the higher level of regional tennis, producing champions and if I can dream a bit, even entering the Davis Cup.
We intend to meet these goals by setting ourselves the challenging but achievable tasks I will now itemise:
1. With the support of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the National Sports Commission and the private sector, the establishment of tennis facilities in a total of eight schools across the country including Anna Regina Multilateral, New Amsterdam Multilateral, President’s College and Queen’s College in the first phase.
2. The introduction of mini-tennis in 20 additional schools across the country including Lichfield, Linden, Anna Regina and New Amsterdam. We are convinced that this is where our future tennis success lies.
3. The revitalisation of a number of clubs and facilities across the country. The clubs for immediate attention are mainly in Georgetown but we are also going to target the sugar estates, Demerara Sugar Terminals, Linden and New Amsterdam.
4. An increase in the number of tennis coaches at Levels 1 and 2 from the current three to 12.
These coaches will receive the full support of the GLTA but will be encouraged to attach themselves to the functioning clubs around the country.
5. The training of tennis officials including umpires and administrators. Despite his other very important commitment, Dr. Steve Surujbally has agreed to lead a workshop in early 2010 to equip parents, former players and supporters to officiate in matches.
6. Expansion of the National Park training facilities. To be financed by the UNDP, a proposal has already been submitted for the project.
7. Running a minimum total of 5 tournaments each year featuring juniors, youths and veterans, climaxing with an end of year Tennis Masters.
8. The resuscitation of the regional tennis body and the resumption of the Phillips and the Brandon Cups.
9. The resumption of the Inter-Guianas Tournament among Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname with the first tournament taking place in Guyana in late 2010.
10. With the support of the National Sports Commission, the establishment of a home for the game and the game’s administration.
The 10 objectives are set out in detail in the plan.
The critical success factors are human resources, financial resources, physical resources, the support of parents, players, the private sector, an effective structure and machinery for the administration of the sport and the support of the National Sports Commission, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education and the regional administrations.
We learnt from the press that the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports is proposing to partner with a consultant to complete the National Sports Policy. We stand ready to play an active role in developing that Policy. The experience of the GLTA, and those of other sporting bodies, suggest that the relationship between these bodies and the Ministry and Department of Sports has been far from satisfactory and again we will do our part in rebuilding those relationships. Indeed, we will communicate our commitment to the Ministry and the Department very shortly.
If we are to make real progress in sport, then we have to ensure that there is proper accountability and governance at every level in sport, that taxpayers’ funds allocated to sport are spent wisely, that there is a genuine partnership of stakeholders, without any consideration of politics or personalities. While the sporting bodies struggle to meet even their most basic expenses, or to provide facilities or to pay coaches, none of these bodies shares directly in the $421 million provided in the National Budget for the Sports division of the Ministry.
Of that amount, $270 million is for capital expenditure on a swimming pool, rehabilitating the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and the National Gymnasium. The recurrent expenditure for the National Sports Commission is $90 million, a huge chunk of which is for wages and salaries, travel, fuel and lubricants and utilities. Against such items in the 2009 Budget as Education Subvention and Training, Subventions to Local Authorities which are expected to provide facilities, or Subsidies and Contributions to Local and International Organisations, the recurring figure is Nil.
For the 2010 Budget, we need to turn this formula on its head so that less money is spent on the administration of sport and far more on sporting activities including cricket, table-tennis, squash, hockey and of course tennis.
The GLTA will be approaching the government for a subvention in 2010. Even a small traction of the national budget, along with guaranteed access to the Non Pareil facilities, will enable the GLTA to meet its two- year gols.
Christopher Ram,
President,
GLTA.
