By Kemoh Sesay
One of the country’s best Table Tennis Paralympians George Wyndham has told Politico that he feels able to do anything a perfectly-able person can do despite his disability.
Wyndham who started playing active table tennis in the year 2000, described himself as versatile sportsman with ideas in various sports like Wheel Chair Hand ball, Volleyball amongst others, but he said he chose table tennis because "I get pleasure whenever I play the sport."
He said he went through difficulties in his attempt to take part in the trials for the West Africa games in 2003 in Nigeria but " I was defeated in the finals by Hon. Julius Cuffie because it was my first appearance in those trials.".
He said he then entered his first competitions in the Western Area table tennis championship in 2004/05 and reached the finals only to be defeated again. According to Wyndham, he competed in the inter-regional competitions the following year and won his first trophy in 2006.
Wyndham revealed that he won his biggest competition in 2011 in the intermediate category in the Golden Jubilee Celebration Championship hosted in Freetown amongst players from foreign countries. He said after 12yeras in local competitions "I had the opportunity to represent my country in 2013 in the West African table tennis championship in Liberia...I won a bronze medal."
He said in the same year he also took part in the African championship normally called Nations Cup and the Egypt open with over 30 to 40 Countries and over 200 players and "I emerged as the bronze medalist in the African nations Cup and Silver medalist in the Egypt open and I also took part in 7th Annual Championship hosted in Jordan in 2014 and returned home with a silver and a bronze Medal."
Wyndham mentioned several other successes he has scored in different countries over the period but he stressed that he is facing "so many challenges including lack of sponsorship and I don't have a manager and I am finding it extremely difficult to do my best for my country."
At present, George Wyndham says "I live in one of the rooms at the national stadium because I have no alternative despite all I have done for this country."
He is appealing to all business institution "to come to my aid to salvage my career because after the Ebola I strongly believe that I will be part of the team for the Rio Games.
© Politico 27/01/15
