Table Tennis Association hails budgetary allocation ‘a step in the right direction’ for sport

Press release from the Guyana Table Tennis Association

“As President of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), [Godfrey Munroe], I wish to say that the 2024 budget is unprecedented and a step in the right direction for the sector.

I therefore wish to applaud the Government, the Hon. Minister Mr. Charles Ramson Jr., the Director of Sports Mr. Steve Ninvalle, the Commissioners of the NSC, and their team for their vision leadership and for taking on board the aspirations of national athletes, associations, coaches and administrators and the sector as a whole.

While the nation and government have priorities in the other sectors.

Budget 2024 has again demonstrated the Government of Guyana’s commitment and plan to placing sport on a higher priority and trajectory by progressively allocating more resources and investing and building the key pillars necessary for advancing the prospects for our future sporting success as a nation.

It’s a caring and direct response to the demands and engagement of actors in the sector, premised on an unprecedented and new approach of constant engagement with national federations and associations by the Hon Minister, by you in your capacity as Director of Sports and the National Sports Commission geared at ensuring strategic direction and planning becomes part of the culture of operation, establishing and identifying areas of support and collaboration, the platform for the resolution of challenges finding solutions and identify areas for synergies among other areas of benefit all become enshrined.

More specifically for the Sport of Table Tennis

The investment in a Home for the Sport of Table Tennis, with the near completion of the National Table Tennis Centre at the National Racquet Centre Wooldford Avenue G/town, this after many years of advocacy and after a mere few engagements with the Hon Charles Ramson exemplifies demonstrates and is a testimony to the genuine commitment, leadership and vision of the Minister, the government, the Director of Sports and the NSC in investing and advancing Guyana’s table tennis and sporting prospects.

Additionally, (1) Support for players to compete at the local and international levels and for our elite athletes, (2) Support for our association in hosting an unprecedented three major ITTF international events in 2023, (3) Support for our national academy programs plans for additional support to coaching development and elite athletes more particularly Shemar Britton Chelsea Edghill among other support, truly allowed the GTTA to make advancement in our developmental and strategic priorities, creating a platform for growth.

A more in-depth review of the budget would show that while it is weighted toward infrastructure development, it is an essential platform and pillar for sporting development and success.

It undertakes a systematic, ground-up, focused approach to creating the critical pillars and key developmental structures needed in our sports architecture to achieve sporting success based on and when evaluated against several proven scientific models of sporting success.

The budget details also show a clear plan and direction toward creating equity accessibility and opportunities for all citizens, mass participation, and a decentralized model based on the many projects to be implemented across the region.

Further, these plans projects programs, investments and support being made across the sector, which includes

1. Building of regional facilities
2. Nursery Academy establishment of talent identification programmes nationally
3. Coaches development training and support
4. Student athlete development and support
5. Community-based Investment Sport for All (Grounds and facilities activities programs projects
6. Support for Competition Programmes

It lays the foundation and creates the framework for the GTTA and other national sports organizations to have more places for their activities and more persons actively involved and engaged in sporting activities. It allows sports to become decentralized, NSOs to establish and build out talent identification and mass participating programs, develop human resource capacity, organize nationwide national competitions and international competitions, and synchronize plans with the International Federation.

While the fruition of these investments is already yielding benefits, the full efficacy of the 2024 budget lays the groundwork for a healthier and fitter nation and a more sustainable and higher-performing sector in all dimensions soon.

The GTTA looks forward to our continued harmonious, synergistic, and close working relationship with the National Sports Commission, the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, and by extension, the Government of Guyana.”