‘Talent alone is not enough’ – Cuban champion Liván Martínez wraps up table tennis coaching stint in Guyana – News Room Guyana
Cuban table tennis champion and coach Liván Martínez has completed a transformative three-month high-performance stint with Guyana’s national squad, warning that the country’s bright young prospects must build a fiercer daily training culture to succeed on the international stage.
Martínez, a decorated athlete with titles across Caribbean, Central American and Caribbean (CAC), and Pan American competitions, brought top-tier sparring and elite tactical instruction to Georgetown.
His temporary assignment forms part of an ongoing strategic partnership between the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) and the Cuban Table Tennis Federation, alongside fellow Cuban coaches Osdani Romero García and Yasel.
Impressed by the raw potential in the Guyanese ranks, Martínez delivered a candid assessment of what it takes to turn talent into international podiums.
He highlighted a critical need for athletes to shift their mental approach, urging players to embrace daily double sessions, realistic match simulations, and rigorous off-table physical conditioning.
Martínez stressed that table tennis remains fundamentally an individual pursuit where personal accountability dictates progress, insisting that preparation must be a year-round commitment rather than a scramble ahead of major tournaments.
“Players must establish clear goals and work daily and monthly to improve every aspect of their game,” Martínez said. “They must train harder, go the extra mile, and develop the mindset and fighting spirit required to compete successfully at the highest level.”
The GTTA welcomed the intervention, viewing Martínez’s intense regimen as the benchmark for a broader overhaul of its national programme.
Under the Association’s updated high-performance framework, national team selection will now depend strictly on attendance, physical readiness, and measurable commitment to structured performance plans aimed at Commonwealth, Pan American, and Olympic-level competitions.
GTTA President Godfrey Munroe praised the exchange’s impact, noting that Martínez gave the squad a rare window into the standards required at the sport’s peak.
“Coach Martínez brought not only tremendous playing and coaching experience, but also the intensity, discipline, and competitive standards required at the international level,” Munroe said.
“His presence provided our athletes with quality sparring, technical guidance, and a clearer understanding of what is required to progress from talent to sustained high performance.”
Munroe added that the responsibility now shifts directly to the players to embed those standards into their routine.
“Development cannot be seasonal or begin only when a team is preparing to travel,” said Munroe. “It must be a daily process supported by clear goals, disciplined training, physical preparation, and a willingness to do the additional work required.” (Modified Press Release)
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
