ITTF selects Guyana’s proposal for 2021 edition of “My Gender, My Strength.”

The Guyana Table Tennis Association’s project proposal for the 2021 edition of “My Gender, My Strength” – member association’s assistance programme for women’s development in table tennis – has been selected by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) among several globally submitted projects.
This annual ITTF developmental programme seeks to enhance and advance women’s participation in table tennis by supporting ambitious and creative national projects designed for female players, coaches, match officials, administrators or managers.
It seeks to ensure maximum women’s participation, combined with high quality benefits for women’s development in table tennis. It shares a sports spirit and highlights a gender balance matter.

Guyana context
Guyana’s TT Pink Pongsters “My Gender My Strength” programme provides the unique opportunity for the GTTA, in partnership with key stakeholders, to establish a programme specifically geared towards the establishment of a national talent identification programme to encourage girls actively participating in the sport of table tennis in Guyana.
Guyana has enjoyed a fair measure of success at the regional and international level with female players/teams very many years The likes of Barabra Jekir, Hodiah, and Carol Davidson, Francine Abrams, Bertnell Richards Chelsea Edghill , Trenace Lowe, Natalie Cummings , Michelle John among many others have done well for Guyana at the International level, however, this is not as a result of any unique strategic established or targeted program implemented by the association but rather through an Adhoc system.
It is therefore our belief that the institution and implementation of a national talent identification program that offers training opportunities for young Girls will provide the catalyst for the participation of more females in the sport of table tennis. Leading to the provision of competitive advantage to Guyana in regional competitions in future years to come
The recent success of National table tennis Player Chelsea Edghill at the Tokyo Olympic games 2020, the selection of Guyana;’s women’s team for the World Tem Table Tennis Championships in Busan South Korea, teams’ performance in four consecutive quarterfinals at the Commonwealth games among other key performances highlights the opportunity available.

Execution
Twelve 12 weeks packed with learning!
Through a series of sessions, the girls will learn all the basics necessary to enjoy a great game of table tennis. keeping active, socializing, developing hand/eye coordination, education sessions, and motivational engagement by national players and key figures such as Chelsea Edghill Olympian developing core skills, engaging in friendly competitive activities and generally having a great time.
Every session will consist of a warm-up, some off-the-table activities on-the-table exercises and fun games. The focus is on FUN. TT will quickly learn to love the great game of table tennis. Utilize the services of our ITTF trained coaches in regions 3,4,6,7.10 and Georgetown to provide orientation sessions in the fundamental aspect of the games for a minimum of 9 hours weekly over the period of 3 months observing all Covid-19 protocols.
The “Pink Pongster” will also receive their very own bag, holding everything they need to get started – including their very own TT Kidz T-shirt, bat, balls, and activity book/sticker album.

Aims and Objectives
• Established a talent identification program that specifically targets the training and orientation of girls into the sport of table tennis in Guyana
• Activate and stimulate the participation of Get more Girls actively engaged in the Sport with a view of achieving gender balance
• Unearthing of talent of the Sport for training for further development for domestic and international representation
• Motivate girls to pursue active, healthy lifestyles create equity and access to have more girls participating
• To have a minimum of 100 Girls between the ages of 5 years to 13 years old trained oriented
• To establish a core of coaches, schools’ community who would work and engage with the program
• To established linkages with partners which will result in synergistic benefits to advance the development of the program
• Grow and expand the sport across Guyana
• Inspire a new generation of girls to love the game of table tennis and have loads of FUN
This program is in keeping with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport – Guyana academy program which seeks to synchronize activities at the nursery and cadet level of sports thus creating a foundation for our nation’s athletes as they progress in the discipline.
A subsequent press conference will happen in the near future which will include key resource personnel from the GTTA and the Unión Latinoamericana de Tenis de Mesa.