The Grassroots Talent Identification Table Tennis Programme of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Table Tennis Association is in full gear.{{more}}

Recommencing January 16, the programme, which aims to unearth young table tennis talent has covered several communities.

So far, sessions have been held at Barrouallie, Troumaca, the Liberty Lodge Boys Training Centre, Keartons, and one among the staff of CLICO.

Eight coaches, most of whom were certified or re-certified during 2010 when Egyptian Ahmed Dawlatly staged a nine day Level One course here, are involved in the Grassroots Talent Identification Programme.

The coaches involved are Philcol Jeffers, Romano Spencer, Robert Ballantyne, Kamal Hunte, Kendal Charles, Cecil Gordon, Harvey Graham and the SVGTTA Technical Director Khalique Bailey.

Bailey is also using the opportunity to supervise the practical hours for the Level One coaches to finalise their certification, as stipulated by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

In this instance, the coaches have to fulfill an additional 30 hours of practical instructions to go along with the 30 hours under Dawlatly’s tutelage.

Bailey, who attended an International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Programme in the USA, in September last year, is mandated to develop such a programme, which is actually his thesis, for his certification.

It is Bailey’s aim to net 120 participants, within a six month period. (RT)