Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

The staggering table tennis fraternity in Jamaica yesterday received a significant boost with the donation of a grant of US$7,500 (J$532,500)from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) towards the continued development of the sport in Jamaica, during a press conference at the offices of the Sports Development Foundation (SDF).

The much needed funds were made possible through the Reggae Land Table Tennis Academy (RLTTA), established through the Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA), the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) and the government to develop the sport in a sustainable, structured, timely and professional manner.

Help for schools

According to Samuel Lamont, chairman of Reggae Land TTA, equipment - mainly table tennis tables and balls - have been purchased from the grant and already several clubs and schools including Titchfield High, Jamaica College and Mico College have benefitted from the donation of these items.

"This is the first step in our attempt at popularising the sport," he said. "We are setting a foundation whereby many other of our clubs and national associations can get funding. The youth in the country need hope and this is our way in trying to set a foundation for them," he added.

Lamont also has plans for an academy catering specifically to arts, sports and music. The concept he says is to help the national teams by lifting the standard of play in a number of sports which include table tennis, football, netball, boxing and other sports as the programme progresses.

His long-term plans include building a facility on land that has already been identified in Breastworks, Port Antonio, Portland at an estimated cost of US$5 million.

The academy will attempt to improve existing table tennis facilities as well as the creation of new ones.

Training programmes

Training programmes will be implemented for cadets, juniors, seniors and veterans with equal respect for the various age categories for both male and female with regards to local and international competition.

"We will be going around the country promoting table tennis and while we are at it we will be trying to raise funds," he said. "In a short while, you should see a compact disc (CD) on the market that we will be producing.