The Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry and National Sports Commission (NSC), in collaboration with the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), launched the Table Tennis Academy Programme “Guyana TT Kidz – With the Future in Mind” on Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Minister Ramson engaging in a game of table tennis
Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr delivered the feature address alongside Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle.
Minister Ramson and GTTA President Godfrey Munroe officiating at the launching of the academy
In his feature address, the Sport Minister said, “We are doing it with this type of event, because it is a new initiative that requires all of us to see that this can turn into something huge. When we take the time to do this, it is not that we are taking the time to drive all the attention to us, but sport is important for the country and you as young people. It also knits our country together in a strong way, today’s event and all the other sports events related to the National Sports Academy could not have occurred without the strong leadership coming from the NSC, etc, as well as the other sports associations.”
Ramson Jr explained that previously, before permission was given to use sporting facilities a fee had to be paid; however, under his leadership, the Ministry has waived that fee for the usage of facilities, owing to the fact that athletes can come and train for free. He related that as long as he was in charge of the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry, athletes had nothing to fear.
“When you know that you have got training or stuff that your friends want you to do, skip the stuff that is unconnected to your training; there is a lot that is being invested here so that you can get the training to develop your skills,” Ramson Jr posited.
He further elaborated to the young ‘pongsters’ that with the academy, they would be given the training, the racquets, people, lights, and everything available for them to use. The Minister explained that all he required of the young athletes was for them to turn up to their training sessions and focus on what they have to do and give their best.
Minister Ramson also related that Government had approved some $130 million for the upgrading of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. This will see the installation of air conditioning, refurbishing of the stands with bucket seats, and changing of the front of the building to a glass front, to modernise the Sports Hall.
“We’re doing this, yes, we want you to be comfortable, but we want to encourage families and spectators to come to this location when hosting national events, because for all of the core sports they have to have their national events which will be added into the elite training programme. Within this coming year, we are going to transform this facility into a modern facility that you will be satisfied about,” the Minister explained.
Director of Sport Ninvalle, in sharing his sentiments, relayed that he was proud and enthused with the GTTA as it has accomplished a lot in a short period of time. He clarified that table tennis was the fourth core sport that would commence its nursery, as next week the athletic nursery will kick off.
“Through such a programme, tennis already has one Olympian; through this programme we may be seating among the next Olympians in the next decade,” Ninvalle stated.
He said that while these programmes were important, he was urging all athletes and coaches to give their all into what the Minister has envisioned.
The programme launched is in keeping with the strategic vision of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). It, therefore, allows the GTTA to establish talent identification programmes across the regions, with academies being identified for Regions Two, Three, Six, Seven, and 10. The programme will target athletes between the ages of 6 and 16 for the table tennis nursery which will orient them in the game and all that it has to offer. The programme will seek to have at least nine hours of athlete engagement every week.
