Trials for selection of national table tennis players will now become a feature under the tenure of the present Henry Greene’s administration. This is according to a press release from the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA).
According to the release, the issue of selection of national teams was deliberated upon recently at an executive meeting of the GTTA and the decision for there to be regular trials prior to team selection was unanimously adopted. The GTTA also named a selection committee headed by Junior Vice President Dr. Pradeep Balram.
The committee also includes former players Colin France and Patrick Triumph along with Deidre Edghill, Merton Blake and Linden Johnson. General Secretary of the GTTA, Godfrey Munroe and President Henry Greene sit on all standing committees as constituted.
The GTTA release said the decisions to be implemented are part of the institutional strengthening of the organization using a concrete set of policies.
According to the release Greene, who is also the Commissioner of Police, was very “happy and eager for trials to become a part of the selection process of athletes and pledged to reward winners of trials.”
Greene, the release stated, indicated that he wanted to see tennis move and surpass the golden Errol Caetano and George Braithwaite era. The GTTA also addressed the issue of foreign-based players and it was decided that while consideration would be given players who possess a USA or World ranking, male players who fell below the USA ranking of 2350 and female players below the 2000 ranking would be required to come back home and participate in trials prior to team selection.
The release also stated that it was compulsory for overseas-based players to participate in a minimum of two domestic championships one being the National championships and another high level tournament to be named.
Meanwhile, Christopher Franklyn and Edinho Lewis received the sum of $100,000 and $50,000 for placing first and second in the just concluded trials held to select the team for October’s Commonwealth Games.
The trials took place on Tuesday and Wednesday last at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and the players received their cash incentives at a small ceremony at the Police Officers Mess on Thursday.
