The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Guyana has presented 50 Tennis tables to the Ministry of Education. The tables will go into both Primary and Secondary Schools.
This is a major injection for the sport, which is looking to build on its representation at the Tokyo Olympic Games earlier this year.
In 2019, 50 schools also received a similar donation, and according to the new Ambassador, Guo Haiyan, the hope is that the apparatus can spark greater interest among the pupils.
“It is aiming to promote the development of table tennis teaching and help the Guyanese students become healthier and stronger,” the Ambassador stated.
“I believe the equipment can inspire the students to have strong interests in Table Tennis and Table Tennis can become one of their best memories in teenage years,” Ambassador Haiyan added.
Godfrey Munroe, President of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), highlighted that the continued gesture is just the tip of the iceberg, and the talents identified will filter into the Association’s national plans.
He indicated five national players have already spent two months in China for high-performance training and opportunities are being presented for Guyanese coaches to visit China and learn, while Chinese players will come to Guyana for training as well.
“We believe that this project is significant in the context that it provides the framework for the development of the sport grounded in the education sector because the sector has a large target audience of students,” the GTTA head highlighted.
Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, underscored that sport and academics go hand-in-hand, and the first beneficiary of these tables will be the hinterland communities.
“We will ensure that the hinterland primary schools and Primary Tops are first beneficiaries because we believe we can do much there and they are often left behind,” the Minister noted.
She highlighted that this project can start in the primary schools and be feeders into the Secondary school.
This year, Chelsea Edghill became the first Table Tennis player from Guyana to qualify for the Olympic Games held in Tokyo. She too was a product of the school system.
