PRESIDENT of the Guyana Table Tennis Association, Police Commissioner Henry Greene yesterday said that all systems are in place for the hosting of the 53rd Senior Caribbean Table Tennis Championships of Central America and the Caribbean, to be held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, August 12-19.
Teams will begin arriving on August 11 from countries such as: Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, St Vincent, St Lucia, and St Kitts among others. President Bharrat Jagdeo, Government officials, the  Diplomatic community and representatives from other sporting fraternities are expected to attend the opening ceremony set for Saturday at 14:15hrs, followed by a reception later in the evening, which will feature live entertainment by international artistes who will be in the country to perform at the Jamzone Summer Break.
Apart from the presentation of trophies at the  closing ceremony on August 19, there will also be a packed programme of entertainment, again by artistes who will be performing at the various Jamzone events.
The games will commence at 09:00hrs daily for which tickets costing $500 are available at the Sports Hall as well as Wireless Connections.
The various categories for competition  include: men’s singles, women’s singles, mixed doubles, men’s and women’s doubles, Under 21 male and female, and the veteran tournament for both male and female by renowned, seasoned table tennis players.
Greene said that Guyanese can look forward to a high level of table tennis. The GTTA has embarked on several fund-raising activities such as barbeques, take-away lunches and bingo competitions.
General Secretary of the GTTA, Godfrey Munroe, said that the local squads for all of the categories have been identified.
“It’s going to be a high level of table tennis championship and we rely on Guyana to come out and support the teams,” he said.
GTTA, Council Member, Courtney Hinds said that Kings Plaza on Main Street is the central area of accommodation for both the foreign and local players (approximately 125 persons).
Speaking on the security aspect of the championships, A’ Division Commander, George Vyphuis, who is also a member of the GTTA, said “we do not want anybody to come to our country and not feel safe, as such we will have a presence at the airport to escort teams as they arrive”.
Additionally, an outpost will be established at the Main Street Plaza throughout the period and ranks will maintain a presence on each of the floors where the players are staying. Tight security will also be present on the grounds of the playing venue by plain clothes, uniformed, and traffic ranks as well as heightened patrol in and around the city for the duration of the tournament. 
Another council member, Clifton Hichen who has been working hard on ‘sprucing up’ the Sports Hall, said that it is a proud moment for Guyana to be able to host a tournament of this magnitude and assured that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that preparations are on par with international standards.
In recent years, Guyana’s ability to host major, international events has improved tremendously as a result of significant investment in infrastructure such as the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara.   
At present 30 local umpires are undergoing a three-day training programme being executed by International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Instructor from Canada, Delano Lai Fatt to ensure accuracy and efficiency during the tournament. 
Lai Fatt said that considering that this is the first time the country is hosting an event of this nature, the level of interest shown by Guyanese for the game is impressive.
He was sent to Guyana as a result of a development programme between the ITTF and the Latin American Table Tennis Union (LATTU), to raise the level of awareness as well as the ability of the Umpires.
More importantly, however, umpires will receive a Certificate at the end of the course thus making them certified in the field of umpiring.
“These are good umpires but now they will have the certificate to prove it … I am so happy to be invited here in Guyana. This is one of the corners of the world that are not very well known in the table tennis circle and this is an opportunity for me to be here in the wonderful, tropical country and to give publicity to the existence of this nation and the passion for table tennis that exists here,” the ITTF instructor noted.
Local players are all hyped and ready for healthy competition. This championship will also see the presence of big names from the table tennis arena such as the President of the Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Federation, Juan Villa Batista and Tournament Coordinator, Bob Roopnarine from Trinidad and Tobago. 
The GTTA has also received considerable support from private sector companies such as: Mohammed’s Enterprise, CGX Inc, North American Resources, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), Banks DIH, Digicel, Guyana Small Miners Association and a number of persons from the business community who were brought on stream by Brian Tiwari.
Hits and Jams, a prominent name in the entertainment industry will also be giving out 35 complimentary tickets each day during the championships for the various Jamzone events. 
Guyanese players who win their games will also be given free tickets and 20 VIP tickets will be made available to the visiting officials. 
Through the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, the sod-turning for a table tennis facility at Woolford Avenue will soon be held. (GINA)