Table tennis player Andrew Daly, who returned to the national scene with a bang, capping off a first place finish in the singles category of the just-concluded Inter-Organization Tournament, said his future in competitive table tennis depends on the outcome of the national championships.
In a telephone interview with Stabroek Sport, Daly said his future in competitive table tennis rests squarely on the outcome of his participation in the 2011 National Championships next month. “After Nationals I’ll know where I stand, whether I will continue to represent my country or stand in as a national coach,” he explained.
The 34-year-old, who suffered a severe shoulder injury in 2009 that stopped his career for two years, capped the individual win and led the Guyana Police Force ‘A’ team to a team title win in the Inter-Organization championships.
Daly told this newspaper that GPF Commissioner Henry Greene urged him to return to the sport as most of the current players are young and they could benefit from his experience. He has now set his sights on the Nationals as his testing ground and is confidence that he will be ready for the competition.
“Well, you see, I’m training for the championships and it will take two or three days for me to start getting into shape…me and my training partners have some ways of training that will help me get into some form. My preparation is in place and the nitty-gritty aspects of my game will be worked on,” he said.
According to Daly, he is looking forward to finish in the top four at least, as, “It is important to me and once I put in the required training I can give a good account of myself in the tournament.” Regarding the current level of play on the national scene in the two years since he’d been absent, Daly said the only title ever to have eluded him is the Nationals and like any other competition he believes the training he undertakes before the championships will put him in good stead. He also noted that despite his absence, and without any training, he defeated seasoned players like Warren Hackshaw and Devon Richmond at the recent championships. As such, he says his competitors should expect a similarly dominant style of play from him in the upcoming Nationals.
A venue has not been set for this contest.
