GTA conducts successful Schools Training Programme in E/bo

May 18, 2011 Sports

– participants come from as far as Pomeroon

With participants coming from far flung areas such as the Pomeroon and in one particular case as much as 50 miles up river, the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) organised Schools Programme which was held yesterday, at the Kayman Sankar Rice Complex, Hampton Court, Essequibo could be described as a success.

Head of the Physical Department at Allied Arts Nicholas Fraser (left) makes the donation to Teacher Vishnu Mahadeo in the presence other teachers yesterday.

Nine Primary Schools totalling in excess of twenty participants were involved in the day’s activities which saw in attendance President of the GTA Christopher Ram, executive members Ramesh Seebarran and Nigel Glasgow, Level 11 Coach and co-ordinator of the Programme Shelly Daly-Ramdyhan, assistant coach Leyland Leacock, Head of the Physical Education Department of Allied Arts within the Ministry of Education Nicholas Fraser, teachers and members of the media.
Participants benefitted from training in both practical and theoretical rudiments of the game and were asked to return to their respective schools and impart what was learnt during the exercise.
Ram in opening remarks first thanked the Ministry of Education for doing a fantastic job in getting the teachers out, especially from areas such as the Pomeroon and other distant communities and urged them to made full use of the opportunity being provided by the GTA to decentralise the sport and increase the level of participation across the country.
“I want to thank you for coming out to attend the programme and I also want to say here today that you all are the ambassadors for the GTA in Essequibo,” Ram told the gathering.
He said that it is his wish that tennis someday will be played at a high level in the County and cautioned them not to treat the day’s activities as just curiosity, but rather that they return to their respective schools and translate what they’ve learned to their students.
He reminded that tennis like any other sport requires discipline, courtesy and good sportsmanship, calling on the teachers to ensure that those they are in charge of display such characteristics during training.
The Primary Schools that attended the Programme were Kabakaburi, Lima Sands, Better Hope, Taymouth Manor, Queenstown, Ulele, Tapacoma Lake, Good Hope and Marlborough and all of them were given equipment that included tennis balls, nets, racquets and resource materials to develop their individual agendas.
Daly-Ramdyhan in her remarks disclosed that what was done yesterday was the Basic Introductory Programme where they used the Red Ball –Red Court and it was a follow-up to the one that was conducted recently at the GBTI Hardcourts.
The teachers were taught how to bounce the ball, eye-hand co-ordination and a few other aspects of junior development to make it fun with the children.
Meanwhile, Fraser took the opportunity to make a presentation to five schools that will be writing Physical Education external examinations at the CSEC in Region 2 which is expected to be held on May 23.
Fraser, who disclosed that the sports equipment was part of the $2.4 million worth donated by the Chinese Embassy recently presented the five schools that included Anna Regina, Aurora, Cotton Field, Charity and Abram Zuil with whistles, stop watches, footballs, volleyballs, basketballs and badminton racquets and shuttles.