TTJ appoints new officers

Table Tennis Jamaica (TTJ) has named five new officers who it says will help to facilitate a smooth transition to its new constitution. The appointments were made at a special general meeting (SGM) held at the Sports Development Foundation’s offices on Phoenix Avenue in St Andrew on Saturday.

President Godfrey Lothian said this SGM was an extension of the annual general meeting (AGM) where he was re-elected president on February 9.

Rayon Grizzle, a Trelawny native and president of the western confederation, was made third vice-president. Yvonne Foster, eight-time national champion, was elected president of the Athletes Commission, while Dennis Duncan was made president honorary life member, with a role to mobilise former players and administrators to be active in table tennis.

Moesha Bryan replaced former assistant secretary general Shaniel South, who could not continue in the post for personal reasons, while Michael Forte from the Mandela Table Tennis Club was handed responsibility for community clubs’ development.

Rural development

Grizzle will be responsible for rural development. Foster, new president of the Athletes’ Commission, will be the voice of the players and will raise athletes’ concerns with the board. “She will be the bridge between the administrators and the athletes,” Lothian commented.

With the new personnel on board, Lothian thinks the association is better equipped to complete the transformation to the new constitution he has brought in.

“These new directors have reach and contacts,” Lothian told The Gleaner. They are familiar faces in table tennis, regionally and internationally, and they will assist table tennis in the paradigm shift that we are making to popularise the sport. So we are moving in a nice, new direction, and we need people who understand the sport and can make a valid and valuable contribution to the new table tennis pathway.”