Sport Ministry collaborates with People’s Republic of China, GTTA to build Table Tennis facility

…Racquet Centre site identified

It can be described as a ground-breaking and key meeting held on July 09, 2021 between Chen Xilai, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy and acting Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana, and the Honourable Charles Ramson Jnr, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Minister Ramson’s team included Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle; Assistant Director of Sport, Melissa Dow Richardson; Kashif Mohamed, Chairman of the National Sports Commission; executive members of the Guyana Table Tennis Association, which included GTTA President Godfrey Munroe, Vice President Andrew Daly, General Secretary Linden Johnson, and Treasurer Deirdre Edghill.
This meeting was in relation to the building of a home for the sport of Table Tennis in Guyana. The Malteenoes Sports Club has for years been the hub for Table Tennis in Guyana, and Munroe has been elated to announce that a plot of land within the vicinity of the National Racquet Centre has been earmarked for construction of this new home for table tennis in Guyana.
In two weeks’ time, Munroe has said, the trio will reconvene to negotiate costs, site visits, and advance steps for the future of the sport. Additionally, the GTTA will receive 50 table tennis tables later this year from the People’s Republic of China.
Coming on the heels of regular engagements held with national federations, which is a key feature of Minister Ramson, he discussed the issue, plans, programmes and challenges facing the sport of table tennis, and outlined that table tennis is one of the Ministry’s core sports, and that he is happy with the pillars being developed within the sport and would like to provide support to seeing the advancement and realisation of growth of the sport.
Moreover, he outlined that he is keen on providing a home for the sport of table tennis in Guyana.

At the meeting, GTTA President Godfrey Munroe indicated to the Honourable Minister and his team that the partnership/MOU between the GTTA and through the embassy support and the Government of the People’s Republic of China embassy in Guyana for the sport of Table tennis through the stated belt initiative project which includes some of the listed support provisions:
* Provision of tables and supporting equipment for schools and communities project which has been unfolding with the distribution of tables to fifty schools across Guyana in 2020 and the fifty (50) more slated for 2021 through the Ministry of Education and GTTA
* Training engagement for players at high yield centres in China, which has already commenced with players who visited China going to Hebei Zhengdeng High Yield Training Centre
* Training support for coaches to visit China and learn of the methodologies of the successful Chinese systems.

* Support pledged by the Government of China for exploring possibilities for the building of a home for the sport in Guyana, once the land can be acquired.
* Other technical support for the sport in Guyana to lend to improving performance, and using the sport for building of the bonds of culture and friendship between the people of China and Guyana.
Minister Ramson indicated that he was very enthused by the support being provided by the embassy through the Government of China, and was very keen on leveraging his Ministry and the Government of Guyana’s support in engaging this project, more particularly as it relates to China’s support for building of a home for the sport in Guyana.
Minister Ramson outlined his Ministry’s commitment to providing the land. He said he would appreciate China’s support to build the concrete base. He was appraised on the great partnership between the GTTA and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Guyana, and also of the Chinese people’s support in three key sporting developmental projects.
The Charge D’Affaires outlined that the embassy has been having several discussions for tables for schools and community projects; training of 8 players overseas, which is available; and provided insights to several developmental works in China.
He outlined that the embassy is keen to provide the financial input to make the sport realize its true potential. National players are not able to practice a required amount of training hours, six (6) hours daily, due to the association being unable to host competitions or host training programmes.