“Not only will sports help to keep you fit but it will also help you to be more disciplined, allowing you to function better as a responsible individual.”Micheal Anthony BaptisteBy Sharmain CornetteBased on the few years that I have known Michael Anthony ‘Mike’ Baptiste I can safely deduce that he has a warm personality and is caring enough to ensure that the people around him never go hungry, literally. Indeed he is an excellent chef.However, it is his distinct and remarkable involvement in the game of table tennis that has caused him to be appointed this week’s Special Person.Mike’s auspicious tenure in this sporting arena has allowed him to gain much recognition here in Guyana and the region, particularly during the golden years of local table tennis, the mid 60s through the mid 70s.But it was several long years ago that Mike Baptiste,Discount NFL Jerseys, as he was and still is popularly called, showcased his impressive skills with brisk gyrations which saw him being nicknamed ‘Bouncing Baptiste’ and claiming the recognition and admiration of any sportsman worth his salt.He did not have a prolonged sporting career, but for the time he was involved, he was able to set the stage for the younger generation to follow.It all started back in the 60s, 1964 to be precise, when he made his official debut at a Caribbean Championships, which were held at Queen’s College.But before looking at those outstanding years, it is interesting to note that Mike as a young lad had not aspired to become a tennis player.The Aries-born Baptiste spent the early days of his life at a 175 Charlotte Street, Georgetown, home and according to him, he was a cricketer at heart during his school days. He attended the Bourda Roman Catholic School then Central High School and eventually Saint Stanislaus College.Claiming to be a “useful leg spinner” back in those days when he played with his young friends, Mike reminisced on how he was encouraged by many an adult to pursue the game seroiusly.“During those days the guys and I played on the street… every game, you name it, I played it, but cricket was my thing as a young boy. And lots of people, even the games masters, encouraged me to join the Malteenoes Sports Club.”“I was one of the few that excelled in whatever game I played and I was really focusing on cricket because I bowled well and I could have batted a little too. I remember I had some reasonable performances in primary school cricket,” Mike recounted gleefully.And he had every intention of taking the game seriously as his good friend, the legendary cricketer, Clive Lloyd, did.But table tennis was in no way one of the games he played the least. Based on his recollection, he and his friends enjoyed the game considerably and went to great lengths to ensure they got a game going.“We used to go about the neighbourhood when people were repairing their homes or breaking down their homes and we would take the doors…and use them to make tennis tables to play on.”He reflected that he and his friends had a tendency to play for milk biscuits which were concealed in their pockets only seeing the light of day to pay a debt.Mike Baptiste receiving an award for his outstanding contribution to Table Tennis for Navin Chanderpaul at the National Centre February 2007However, Mike’s sporting aspiration took a dramatic turn when one of his playing buddies who had disappeared for one week returned with what he dreamily described as a “beautiful trophy.”Eager to find out the source of his friend’s accolade, Mike immediately engaged an inquisition, only to learn that it came as a result of a game of table tennis.Although amazed by his friend’s accomplishment, he could not resist the need to highlight the fact that he was the better player and could also win a trophy.Mike learnt that games, unlike the amateur style they indulged in, were played at the Alberttown Fire Station.And though the players were all older, as a budding teenager Mike was anxious to take on a challenge. He developed an intense passion for the game and would even go to school with a racket tucked under his shirt, counting the hours away till he could rush off to the Fire Station to play.It was not long before his competitive spirit earned him some real successes. In fact it was a short while after he started frequenting the Fire Station venue that a tournament was announced in which he participated.But though he did not emerge a victor, he did make his mark at the end of the contest.“I was able to beat a national player by the name of Clement Harper…And that was big news,” Mike recalled.He was just about 18 years old at the time and was elated to learn that his extraordinary moves were captured by sports journalists from the Guyana Chronicle. He became the subject of a sensational headline in the newspaper’s sports section, ‘Bouncing Baptiste destroys national player’.So impressed were the journalists that they were instrumen