I became a citizen of the United States in 1971 but my early lively years were spent growling up in Georgetown, Guyana…the place of my birth.
As a boy, I have always been athletically active and participated in many sporting activities such as cricket, soccer, cycling and track and field etc. I excelled at Cricket and Track and Field and as a 100 meters and 200 meters sprinter represented Guyana at two Caribbean (West Indian) Track and Field Championships in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Kingston, Jamaica.
Eventually, I migrated to the United States to further my education and through a United Nations (UN) employee who lived next door to me was invited one Sunday to watch the UN play a Cricket match…the UN team was missing one player and I was asked to substitute. I made the most runs and on the suggestion of the team Captain, I applied by filling out an application form two days later, for a job at the Organization, took the statistics examination, passed, and begun working that same year at the UN.
Shortly after joining the UN, I found an old hard rubber Ping Pong racket hidden among some documents, discovered the UN Table Tennis club where I very quickly became hooked on the game; sacrificing my lunch hour every day to play. I practiced hard and conscientiously that in ten relatively short years, was selected by the United States Table Tennis Association (USTTA) as a goodwill ambassador to Central America where I played exhibition matches and coached as well. The following year, I was selected as a member of the United Stated team to the World’s Table Tennis Championship in Nagoya, Japan,
WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT IN ADDITION
- I am a former Vice President of the USATT
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I am an original member of the USATT Ping Pong Diplomacy team to the People’s Republic of China
- I am a USATT Certified National Table Tennis Coach
- I am an inductee in the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame
- I have received the USATT Life Time Achievement Award
- I have represented the USA at the Word’s Table tennis Championships
- I have represented the USA at the Pan American Games
- I have won the Caribbean Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles Championships
- I have established a Table Tennis Club on Roosevelt Island
- I have been honored by the US Olympic Committee as the Olympian Magazine Amateur Athlete of the year and much, much, more…………………
MORE ABOUT ME
My ambition is to coach and develop young players and to impart my vast knowledge and expertise to players of all ages. My pride and ultimate dream is to succeed in helping the United States of America Table Tennis (USATT) establish a “USA International Table Tennis League.” I believe very strongly that a National League System (Teams representing States) is a priority. This is the system that’s used in all Major sports in the United States…such as Basketball, Football, Baseball, etc., it’s all team versus team. A National League will undoubtedly accelerate and elevate the USA to once again become a MAJOR Table Tennis power. All major table tennis powers in the world have inevitably implemented this system and have benefited considerably.
George Braithwaite’s report from the 2014 US NATIONALS
2019 HISTORICAL EVENT WITH THE CHIEF: CHECK IT OUT!
A Short video tribute celebrating The Chief George Braithwaite’s LIFE
