By Sean Devers
NATIONAL Table Tennis coach, Linden Johnson feels that for the standard of table tennis in Guyana to really improve, the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) needs a home for the sport.
“We (GTTA) want to do so much for local table tennis but presently our tournaments are played at the National Gymnasium where table tennis competes with several other indoor sports disciplines. Previously, table tennis tournaments were held at the Cliff Anderson National Sports Hall but due to the rehabilitation of that facility it cannot be used at this time,” disclosed Johnson.
“We (GTTA) used the Malteenoes Sports Club for our training and practice and if we can acquire our own home for table tennis with dorms to accommodate out-of-town players, our sessions could be longer and we could have camps” said Johnson, who is also an NSC Level 2 Table Tennis Coach.
Three International tournaments were held in Guyana for this year which is historic for this country.
“We hosted three tournaments back-to-back, with the first being the CAC which Guyana qualified for in both Men and Women categories, thereafter we staged the Caribbean Senior Table Tennis Championships which served as qualification for the Pan Am Games. Guyana put their best foot forward but we will have to play in another qualifying tournament. We also hosted the Caribbean Youth Championships to qualify for the Junior Pan Am Games,” Johnson pointed out.
Johnson informed that Jonathon Van Lang is the highest ranked Guyanese Junior player. The multi-talented Van Lange, also a member of Guyana’s senior Men’s team, is also a National youth cricketer.
It is understood that the CAC is scheduled for June in the USA while the Pan Am and Junior Pan AM overlaps each other.
“We are not sure of the exact dates, hence the teams haven’t been released. Of course, we would want to arrive in the host country a week before our event starts but the GOA is responsible for all travel arrangements” stated Johnson who gained his Level 2 certification in Trinidad.
Giving his views on sports and table tennis in particular, especially in schools, Johnson admitted that there has been a decline from ‘back in the days’ but was quick to add that the Ministry of Education is working to fix that problem.
“The Ministry is sending NSC Table Tennis coaches into the schools to coach to teachers and students the rudiments of the game.
He pointed out that the main issue is the ‘follow-up — getting tables and rackets into the schools and getting the teachers to continue the work when the NSC coaches leave. “Getting players from the rural areas to get involved in National competitions is another issue that we face.
“In the past, there were a lot of out-of-town players involved but now that is on the decline, but we (GTTA) are working to put things in place to encourage players for out of town to participate” Johnson assured.
Johnson revealed that he has been around table tennis since the 1980s.
“I played a bit but not at a high level but then I got into administration and in 1989 fell into coaching and got a scholarship to attend a course in Hungary. I also went to China.”
The NSC coach resigned and the players were reluctant to get into coaching, so I decided to give it a try and that’s how I got involved in coaching” explained Johnson.
Johnson said he has travelled a lot with National teams and remembered going with Trenace Lowe and Michell John on tours.
His favorite quote is ‘what the mind can believe, anything can be achieved’ which Johnson regularly uses when dealing with his charges.
