Hammond grateful to GTTA for participation in C’wealth Games qualifiers

Former national ping-pong star, Eric Hammond, has praised the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) for extending an invitation to him to participate in the ongoing qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games at the D.G Hathiramani Hall of the Accra Stadium.

He noted that, but for a hip injury, he would have made the final list of top four players needed for the Commonwealth Games.

Injury worries

"I am satisfied with my performance, I had an injury coming into the games so it affected me; but I’m grateful that I was given the chance to play," the Black Loopers’ skipper at the 2003 Africa Games told the Daily Graphic.

"I tried to play through the injury but unfortunately, it did not permit me to move like I should, but all the same I'm still grateful to God, my family and the GTTA for their support," he noted.

The qualifiers, which climaxed last Monday, comprised the top 10 players of the national male team who battled for four slots.

Top seed, Derek Abrefa, second seed Emmanuel Commey were among the top 10 players who took part in the qualifiers.

Hammond, who led the Loopers to the 2003 Africa Games in Abuja, expressed his satisfaction with playing with the top players in the country.

"Playing with the likes of Abrefa and Commey has exposed me to new things in the game and I am happy about that," he said.