Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

It takes discipline and hard work to excel in any sport, but it also takes initiative and sheer determination to remain focused and achieve success without adequate infrastructure and financing.

The Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) has, throughout its history, helped to produce a number of very good players who have represented Jamaica at the highest levels, but to date the organisation still struggles to maintain its viability.

The JTTA is now on a drive to raise $1 million to send the Cadet Teams (Under-10 and Under-13 players) to this year's Caribbean Region Table Tennis Federation Cadet Championships. The championships will be staged in Barbados from August 16 to 21, with the delegation scheduled to leave the island on August 15.

The total cost of sending the 20-member delegation to the championships is $1.5 million and so far the association has only raised $500,000.

This is the fourth year since these championships have been added to the calendar of the International Table Tennis Federation and Jamaica have participated on the three previous occasions. Last year, the team placed third out of seven teams with two bronze medals.

Three-time champion

The JTTA is one of the foundation members of the Cadet Championships which started six years ago. Jamaica are three-time champions, having had their last hold on the title three years ago.

"Table tennis is one of those sports that is on the rise. We have quite a number of youngsters who are at a very good standard. It's a disciplined sport with very good leadership and there is a lot of transparency in the way things are done in table tennis," said Keith Garvey, president of the JTTA.

The Government, he said, is investing millions of dollars in equipment to improve the standard of play in the country. According to Garvey, 75 boards will be shipped from India for the development of the sport in the primary and all-age levels, along with 37 competitive boards.

"In terms of equipment and facilities, we are moving in the right direction. So persons are invited to sponsor even one of the children. The cost of which should be about $50,000. Let's not wait until they are stars of Jamaica to then bring them on board," Garvey said.

The players have been in training for several months under coaches Winston Cowans, Sandra Riettie and Sean Wallace, and team selections have now been made:

The Under-13 girls' team comprises Davia Green (Pembroke Hall Primary), Daneika Lawrence and Dana-Leah Whyte, both of Vaz Prep, and Matthew-Ann Dawson of New Hope Prep. The Under-13 boys are Korey Moulton (Kingston College), Romario Thenstead (Andenne High), Derek Walcott (Campion College) and Jordon Collington (Portmore Missionary Prep).

Larissa McLaughlin (Portmore Missionary Prep), Ashley Lowe (Hillel Prep) and Kimesha Williams (Blauwearie Primary) form the girls' Under-10 team. And Jacob Bignall, Myles Harrison, Luke Roberts and Brandon Azar - all of Hillel Prep - comprise the boys' Under-10 team.

Staff

The contingent is completed by two coaches, a manager and a delegate.

Coach Riettie said the preparation has been good so far. Jamaica will compete against hosts Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, Puerto Rico, St Lucia and St Kitts.

"I am looking for great things in the Under-13 girls and boys. The Under-10s are young. It's the first real exposure for them. The only real tournament they have played in has been the prep schools' championships and they are making one step forward into international tournament but I expect them to do well," Riettie said.

Twelve-year-old Korey Moulton, who attends Kingston College and was part of the contingent to last year's Championships, said he will definitely medal this year.

"I am going to do a lot better than last year because mentally and physically I have improved. I think most of my teammates will do well also," Moulton said.

Eleven-year-old Matthew-Ann Dawson, who attends New Hope Preparatory School, said she is learning how to loop properly, top spin, back spin, smash and serve.

" I think we are prepared, based on the hard work that we have put in," Dawson said.

She won bronze in the championships last year, held in Puerto Rico.