Interim committee selected amidst table tennis fall-out

The issues affecting the operations of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Table Tennis Association (SVGTA) have irked a group of concerned persons interested in the sport, who met last Saturday afternoon at the VIP area of the Victoria Park and installed an interim committee, headed by Tyrone Jack.{{more}}

Rudi Daniel – deputy chairman; Andrew Lockhart – secretary; Marlon Gibson – treasurer, Sean Stanley – public relations officer and committee members Orville Haslam, Ronnie Daniel and Sue Sandy complete those selected to run the affairs of the SVGTA, until a general meeting is called and an executive elected.

A check with a member of the National Olympic Committee last Wednesday revealed that no correspondence had been received as yet, informing them of the interim committee.

But a source close to the executive of the SVGTA, informed SEARCHLIGHT Wednesday night, that a general meeting will be held soon, at which elections would be held, and the instruments of the association handed over to the incoming executive.

Last Saturday’s meeting was chaired by former player and administrator Jonathan Pitt, with those present venting their emotions on the state of the sport and unanimously agreeing that it was time for the brakes to be applied on what they deemed “regression”.

Jack noted that over the past six years, there was not much by way of youth development, which has seen the demise of some players who had shown a love for the sport.

Jack was of the view that installing an interim committee was necessary, since the executive, under the headship of acting president Alanzo Primus was forced by a letter, accompanied by a petition signed by 42 members and supporters, into convening a meeting to chart the way forward for table tennis.

This letter Jack said, was dated March 9, 2012 and gave the executive a time frame of 20 days to adhere, otherwise, an interim committee would have been put in place.

Jack confirmed that another letter was written to Primus, December 26, last year, and copied to general secretary of the executive Paul Velox, the Minister of Tourism, Sports and Culture, the manager of the National Sports Council, the general secretary of the NOC and the director of physical education and sports, informing them of their intent to put an interim committee in place on January 5, 2013.

Primus was elevated to the position following the resignation of then president Sean Stanley.

At the last elections held in May 2007, Stanley was elected to the top post; however, he parted ways at the end of December that same year, citing family commitments.

The next election of the association was due in 2011, but was not held. (RT)