Table Tennis Coach Whyte Targets Grooming African Champion

Table Tennis talent discoverer Ebenezer Annang Whyte has set his target on grooming a rising Ghanaian player to become a continental champion.

Whyte who has since 1991 been training and grooming Table Tennis players for Ghana told yours truely i an exclusive interview that he has done much for the nation, but has never been recognised by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) for any honours.

According to the Koforidua based coach, his products have been awarded over the years, and he is still waiting.

He noted that te motivation to work in Ghana is not there, but due to patriotism or nationalism, he keep on training the youth to love sports and not be lead by peer pressure to indulge in social vices.

Coach Annang Whyte attended Suhum SecTec and Pentecost Technical Institute, before going to the Winneba Sports College to train as a sport coach and he decided to go into Table Tennis which has really glorified him as the best trainer ho has coached all the rising young players including the current champion and runner up in the National Under 18.

Annang Whyte holds Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Certificates in coaching Table Tennis and also has an Umpire's certificate all from Winneba.

He has traveled only once with the national team in 2008 to Congo, and feels he needs more exposure to now more as a trainer.

"I would be glad to visit countries in Europe or China, where the game of Table Tennis is of very hig standard, so that I can pick a few tricks for my players" he said.

Whyte who loves dressing in all white hinted that he advises his players to be very disciplined and that is his weapon , which he develops in the players.

Some of the players he is very proud of are Cynthia Kwabi, Derek Abrefa, Kojo Gordon and Emmanuel Ofori the current national juniors champion.

Nana Whyte as he is also known said Ghana abounds in many spot talents and it is about time that the government puts up sports hall in the communities so that they can train and participate in international competition for the nation.

He commended the national coach Anthony Owusu Ansah for his efforts and that of the president of the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), but said much must be done by the media to raise the awareness of the game and entice sponsorships.

He made a passionate appeal to the media to closely monitor his exploits and reward him at the next SWAG awards as he deserved an award long time ago, and still performing.