National Sports Commission rescues Table Tennis team
full squad to leave tonight
Stabroek News
August 1, 2004
The National Sports Commission yesterday made available $US1500.00 approximately $300,000.00 Guyana dollars to the Guyana Table Tennis Association to assist the team to take part in the 44th annual Caribbean Table Tennis Championships to be played in Trinidad from 2nd to the 7th of August.
Along with the National Sports Commission's contribution, a donor who wishes to remain unidentified also contributed US $800.00 dollars, while GT&T, Swansea, Industrial Association and Farfan and Mendes also chipped in. Secretary of the GTTA Sidney Christophe who is also one of the players on the team, related to Stabroek Sport that his association is breathing a sigh of relief.
" We are happy that the sports Commission has come foward , the players are raring to go after training with the Chinese coach for close to a year."
Last week the GTTA called an emergency press confrence to appeal for funds for the championships; this appeal fortunately did not fall on deaf ears, since all the players will now be given a chance to go, which up to last week was unlikely.
The team to leave tonight consists of eight players and two officials.
The eight players (male) are Matthew Khan, Christopher Franklin, Sidney Christophe and Godfrey Monroe, while the females are Michelle John, Jody Ann-Blake, Bertnell Richards and Vida Moore, with the two officials being Joel Wilburg as Manager and Mike Vieira as a delegate.
Meanwhile, the GTTA's raffle which was supposed to be drawn yesterday will now be drawn on September 24.