By Morissa Lindsay
Newly-elected Barbados Table Tennis Association (BTTA) President, Marguerita Felix said the local sport is at the lowest it has ever been and with this change of guard, they intend to market table tennis across the country.
A longstanding administrator, Felix defeated national coach Julia Morris-Young 13-7 after former President Dale Rudder indicated that he was not interested in running again due to personal and work related matters when the BTTA Annual General Meeting was held on Wednesday night at its home base in Nursery Drive, Constitution Road, St. Michael.
“Table tennis is at the lowest point it has ever been since I started in the early 1990s, so now we have to rebuild and one of the things that we want to do is market the sport. Let people know the benefits of table tennis because as our international slogan says table tennis is for all for life,” Felix explained.
During an interview with Barbados Today, Felix an international table tennis umpire who is certified to train others in the Latin America region and also holds a level two coaching certificates, said there are lots of benefits when it comes to the sport and she wants to see it grow within communities.
“We want to do Bridgetown, then we move to Speightstown, Oistins, we go to various places across the island to market the sport and let people know the benefits of table tennis. We also want to work with the National Sports Council to be able to get all the training going at the community centres. So, we have to market the sport and let people know what we do.
“It is a tall order, we have people who are willing and what we are going to do is get people to come on board. Everybody brings the table tennis family on board, people that are interested and we are going to build a plan together. It is a whole lot of planning that will be going on, it is not just come to the table tennis centre, knock up and go back. It is about planning, putting things in place to be able to market the sport,” Felix explained.
The new President, who also served in the past as secretary and Treasurer noted that table tennis is for everyone. She made the comments based on the weeks of impasse within the BTTA as she thanked the BTTA Registrar for the AGM (only) David Bowen as well as the Barbados Olympic Association and the National Sports Council for their intervention.
She also singled out the NSC Acting Assistant Director, Adrian Donovan and Deputy Director Emerson Bascombe.
In his farewell, immediate past President Dale Rudder assured the membership that he will still be around to assist the sport that is close to his heart.
Another BTTA longstanding member, John Pilgrim defeated former vice president David Harris 14-4 while Philip Hackett is the new secretary after being unopposed for the position.
Stephanie Greaves is the new assistant Secretary/Treasurer while Beverly Sealy takes over the reins of Treasurer. No stranger to the BTTA, Everton Forde is the Athletes Representative and Peter Riley takes over as the Officials Representative.
In a three way contest for two Council members to sit on the board Coach Nicole Alleyne received the nod 13-9 over Wilmont Goddards. Long standing Table Tennis Stalwart David Harris once again failed in an attempt to get on the board after scoring only seven votes.
Felix also took the time to thank the former BTTA committee and wished them well.
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
