THREE DECADES ago, Guyana hosted an international tennis tournament and now with the return of competitive junior tennis to these shores, the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) finds itself short of adequate funding to host the Inter-Guiana Games, at the end of this week.

Teams from Suriname and French Guiana are due to arrive here tomorrow, with Singles action on Friday and doubles on Saturday.
GTA president Grace McCalman told Chronicle Sport that they have been forced to scale down on their original budget of $4.2M, which would have included refurbishment works on the National Sports Commission courts at Non Pareil.
As a result games will now be played at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) tennis courts located in Bel Air and Diamond – four surfaces in total.
There have been some sponsors on board however, with David Persaud Investments, Neal and Massy, Continental Agencies, Sterling Products Limited, 704 Sports Bar, Metro Office Supplies and overseas-based Guyanese professional coach Bill Adams all pitching in along with parents of Guyana’s 12-member team.
Tennis in the Guianas was resuscitated in 2012, when the Games were held in Suriname, with French Guiana hosting last year’s edition and Guyana now taking up their obligation in the third.
McCalman says transportation in and around Guyana, since the teams are coming overland, is still an issue, with the estimated cost being $300 000.
“We contacted Director of Sport Neil Kumar. He said the Ministry of Sport usually assists in sponsorship. However the GTA finds itself in a peculiar situation; its IGG tennis clashes with the IGG Games in Suriname, where arrangements have already been made to send a contingent to contest five disciplines and athletes depart tomorrow for Suriname.”
Kumar put the situation down to ‘poor planning by the GTA’.
That aside, the GTA is enthusiastic about hosting the event for which French Guiana are the defending champions, which they hope will give to the Juniors, much needed competition and exposure at a minimal cost, compared to tournaments in Caribbean destinations.
There will be competition in the Under-12, U-14 and U-18 categories – both male and female – with teams providing two boys and two girls in each division.
On Friday, there will be 36 Singles matches – Girls at Bel Air and Boys at Diamond and on Saturday, 18 Doubles matches are to be contested, with a venue switch for the sexes, GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally will be the Tournament Director.
Guyana’s team comprises 11 players from the national squad.
Boys U-18: Daniel Lopes, Khalif Gobin. Boys U-14: Keenan Persaud, Mark McDonald.
Boys U-12 :Jordan Beaton, Hemraj Resaul. Girls U-18: Nicola Ramdyhan, Aretha Dey. Girls U-14: Afruica Gentle, Shivanie Persaud.
Girls U-12: Kalyca Fraser, Sarah Klavtky.

(Leeron Brumell)