Dr Shellyanne Wilson elected Trinidad and Tobago table tennis president

FORMER national table tennis player and Caribbean champion Dr Shellyanne Wilson was elected president of the TT Table Tennis Association (TTTTA) unopposed at the AGM on Sunday at the National Racquet Centre, Tacarigua.

The entire “Love All” slate contested the election unopposed, and Wilson describes their two-year tenure as “Mission Possible”. The southpaw represented her hometown team of D`Abadie Youths Table Tennis Club for her entire playing career. The executive members of the TTTTA are the long-standing national player and coach Curtis Humphreys (first vice president), Jelani Bramble (second vice president), Ernest Fraser (third vice president), Patrice Valentine (general secretary), Nigel Morgan (assistant secretary), Sharon Bravo-Phillip (second assistant secretary), Rabindra Outar (treasurer), and Everton Sorzano (public relations officer).

Wilson said after being elected, “I would like to thank the fraternity for the opportunity to serve, I started table tennis at a very young age because of my sister. Table tennis was integral in my life in terms of shaping who I am today, so I credit table tennis. I’m very thankful to give back to the sport that gave me so much.” The lecturer at the University of the West Indies added, “I want to thank the members of the “Love All” slate because they have put themselves up for this very challenging situation to lead the sport of table tennis forward. Special mention to the outgoing executive who had a difficult challenge operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Wilson explained, “Love all signifies something to us as table tennis players. We start our matches at love all… It`s a fresh start not ignoring all the good that has been done in the past but moving forward together as a fraternity with all hands on deck.”

The executive has identified several key areas that they will be targeting to improve the sport including good governance and management, player development, talent identification, continuous national programmes, increasing the playing population and financial sustainability.

The executive will have to ratify the various committees shortly as well as select and prepare junior and senior teams for the upcoming Caribbean Champions to be held in Guyana in March.