THE Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) has formed a partnership with the People’s Republic of China through its Embassy in Guyana to build a facility that is accredited by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

At a recent press briefing, GTTA president, Godfrey Munroe, announced that the association is finalising the proposal to construct a Table Tennis Facility at the National Racquet Centre, Woolford Avenue.

Munroe indicated they had engagements with the Government of China through its Embassy in Guyana, and a commitment of assistance has been made.

“They (Government of China) have made a commitment to fund a facility for us, once the acquisition of the land is made available and this was conveyed to Minister (Charles) Ramson Jr,” Munroe explained.

The GTTA head further indicated there was a preliminary meeting with Chargé d’affaires Chen Xilai in which the aforementioned was confirmed and they are currently in the process of “finalising details of architectural designs and estimated costs.”

Munroe strongly believes that such an investment will have significant benefits since there is no high-performance centre in the English-speaking Caribbean.

“If Guyana is able to tap into that, it means ITTF support as a hot spot for equipment, host tournaments, junior circuit which means revenue generation, exposure for athletes and table tennis experts coming to Guyana along with structured tournaments, makes it that critical,” he further conveyed.

Guyana Olympic Association president, K.A. Juman-Yassin, applauded the Government for its impetus in sport and expressed hope for a home for table tennis to come to fruition.

The GOA president underscored the need for the facility to be one with the future in mind and not just a short-term goal.

The facility will need to have space for 12 tables (eight for competitions and four for practice), along with other amenities to reach ITTF standards and would mean a shift from Cliff Anderson Sports Hall which currently is the hub for the sport but it has to compete with numerous other disciplines for space and time.