National table tennis players set for high-level training camp in China
Four of Guyana’s table tennis heavyweights will wing out today for a onemonth high-level training camp at the Hebei Zhengding table tennis training centre in China.
The quartet of Natalie Cummings, Joel Alleyne, Nigel Bryan and Elsihaba Johnson will depart Guyana for the table tennis-crazy country.
The camp comes on the heels of Guyana’s excellent showing at the 2018 edition of the Senior Caribbean Table Tennis Championships in Jamaica a few months ago and will be used to fortify the team’s preparations for the 2019 edition of the championship which will serve as the Pan American Qualifier, one of the critical qualification events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The programme according to a release by the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), is being facilitated by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
“This critical high-level table tennis training programme is being offered to eight of Guyana’s national table tennis players. [it is being] facilitated through the support of the Government of the People’s Republic of China’s Embassy in Guyana through the current technical and diplomatic engagements with the Guyana Table Tennis Association, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana, aimed at supporting and improving the performance and development of Guyana’s Table Tennis.
“This engagement signals the commencement and forms part of the many initiatives to be unfolded between China and Guyana aimed at improving Guyana’s table tennis prospects.”
The exchange had initially catered for the participation of eight players which included Miguel Wong, Nicholas Romain, Kyle Edghill and Jamal Nicholas.
The members attending the programme have made tremendous sacrifices for this engagement, they were in intense practice over the last few months in preparation for this training programme.
The Hebei Zhengding International Table Tennis Club has a repertoire of high level and quality players and coaches. It is the centre for China’s national table tennis team and many international players. It also has a tradition of producing world level players at the junior and senior levels.