Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
GARVEY
NEWLY-ELECTED PRESIDENT of the Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA), Keith Garvey, says a primary focus of his administration is to bring back international competition to the island's shores.
Garvey believes that in addition to increasing the overall popularity of the sport, this will be crucial in aiding both national teams (male and female) in terms of their international match preparation.
He noted that lack of international competition on a consistent basis may have been a major factor in the national teams' poor showing at the recent Caribbean Table Tennis Championships. A manager will also be appointed on a full-time basis to assess and monitor the progress of the team.
A former vice-president and long-time veteran of the sport, Garvey defeated former national representative Collete Palmer to become the new president on Saturday evening at the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) office on Phoenix Avenue.
The association had been without a president since the removal of the controversial Joseph Dibbs last month, following a special meeting of the association's delegates.
Garvey, who defeated Palmer by a total of 27 votes to 17, believes that he and his administration are now in prime position to move the sport forward.
"The team that we put together has a wide cross-section in terms of professionalism and experience and love for the game," he remarked.
CRUCIAL PART
"We think that this will be a crucial part of changing the bad publication and perception that the sport has got in recent times," he added.
Another goal of the new administration, according to Garvey, will be to develop the game by also developing the quality of the coaching islandwide. He says strategic planning by his team will be able to unite what was referred to as a segmented table tennis fraternity.
According to the new president sponsorships have already been secured for the national club league and this should prove to be even more of an incentive for the participating clubs.
