On May 25, 2024, Ingrid Graham made history as the first ever female to be elected as President of the Jamaica Table Tennis Association.
Graham secured 14 votes compared to 10 received by her opponent Colette Palmer at the elections held at the Sports Development Foundation in Kingston.
“It’s really a great honour to be in that capacity,” Graham told Sportsmax.tv in an interview this week.
“It just tells to show our young ladies that the sky is the limit and nothing is unreachable to them as long as the interest is there and they love it and have a passion for it,” she added.
The journey to get to this point was not without its ups and downs according to the President.
“It was a strenuous journey and a tiresome one. Sometimes you think of giving up but when I look back on all the children and young ladies and the development of Table Tennis and where it really has taken them, I decided to continue,” she said.
Graham got right to work after winning the election with her immediate attention going to organizing trials to select Jamaica’s teams to the Caribbean Mini and Pre-Cadet Championships set for July 1-7 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
“In the one week that I was in office I was tasked with basically putting on a trial for the Under-11 and Under-13 Pre and Mini Cadets who should be going to the Dominican Republic from June 29.”
Graham says she has also reached out to a number of players and entities to try and send the “excellent” team of youngsters to the tournament.
“The good thing about this set is that we have five children on this team who are from the inner city and they are very talented. They love this sport and they put in their everything they have,” she said.
In addition to planning those trials, which were held at the Excelsior High School, Graham says her and her team are currently planning a one-day rally for Prep and Primary Schools.
“We have not had a proper competition since 2019. Last year, myself, Skills Unlimited Table Tennis Academy (SUTTA), the Kingston and St Andrew Table Tennis Association (KSATTA), and Supersonic Table Tennis Club and the JTTA, we all came together and hosted a one-day rally which was excellent and well supported by the schools. We even had sponsors come on board last minute to assist us,” she said.
“We’re doing the same thing this year. We’re currently planning that and I have to be seeking funding and resources for the team to leave on June 29 for the Pre and Mini cadet,” Graham added.
While admitting that a lot of work needs to be done, she remains confident that her and her team will be able to get the job done.
“It can happen and it will happen. It’s a lot of work but once the structures are in place and persons are dedicated to the cause, we will get there,” she said.
That team consists of First Vice President Andrea Murray, Second Vice President Simon Lei, General Secretary Sean Wallace and Treasurer David White. Wallace will be assisted by Konata Beluchi while White be assisted by Mark Edwards and Errol Howlett.
The Council members include former national champion Simon Tomlinson, current national champion Mark Phillips, Matthew Dawson, Kevin Peterkin and Lisette Wilson.
“We have a diverse team. We have persons in the field of media, accounting, persons who operate their own businesses. We are aiming for positive output, unity, transparency and accountability,” she said.
“We want the entire Jamaica to know that whatever we’re tasked with, we’re going to fulfil it. Each sponsor that comes on board, they will get a report of players participation as well as documentation of hos the resources were spent,” Graham added.