WITH the announcement of the staging of the annual Souvenir Ramdyal Table Tennis Tournament set for tomorrow, at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI), a few changes have been made. Initially set for schools in the New Amsterdam, Canje District which includes New Amsterdam, East and West Canje and East Bank Berbice, the tournament has now been expanded to include all schools and school-age children in the East Berbice area and will begin tomorrow.
The competition, which is sponsored by overseas-based Guyanese, Berbician Souvenir Ramdyal, a 2009 Hall of Fame Realtor of Queens, NY, will be played in the New Amsterdam Technical Institute, auditorium, beginning at 09:00hrs.
This is the fourth year that Ramdyal is sponsoring the tournament which over the years has taken different formats.
Apart from the individual schoolchildren category and ‘C’ class players to be featured this year, an inter-school team competition has been introduced for the Alton Holder Straker Memorial Trophy. The team tournament is expected to feature teams of three and should include a teacher or female players.
A number of categories will be contested including U-10, U-13, U-15, U-18 and U-20. A special category will be played for ‘C’ class players and is expected to see the best Berbice racquet-wielders in action.
Play is intended for both male and female in all the categories. The organisers are asking interested players to make contact as early as possible.
A special invitation has also been sent to the GUYSUCO Training Centre, while students from the University of Guyana and recruits from the Guyana Police Force are also expected to participate. The sponsor, along with members of his family and company, is expected to be on hand to meet the players, declare the competition open and distribute the prizes at the end of the competition.
Berbice has a rich history in the table tennis arena and among some who would have gained stardom in the past are former Caribbean champions Anand Sookram and Doreen Chow Wah, Former National female table tennis and nine-time champion Desiree Lancaster is the only female to have won the tournament on five consecutive occasions. Former National champions Donna Sue and Vida Moore, along with former National junior champion Petal Bennett-Denny, won the Caribbean junior doubles title in the 90s.
Other outstanding players include Isaac Sewnarine, Leslie Amsterdam, Alvin Kallicharran, Clairmont Saul, the Duffs and the Alphonsos and Floyd Conway and the late Roy Fredericks. Incentives will be available for the top four performers in each category. Incentives will also be given to the most outstanding player; most promising and most improved, among others.
Interesting persons can make contact with any of the following persons – Floyd Conway, 623-8481, Richard Thompson 673-9112, Desiree Lancaster 668-0088, Steven Beharry 647-5090 and Levi Nedd 641-9592 for more information.
Apart from Ramndyal, others contributing towards the sponsorship of the tournament are overseas-based former players Patrick Narine and Lanny Anthony.