PLAYER’S DEMANDS FORCE T&T’s Withdrawal FROM WORLD TOURNEY

2026-03-27 - 19:15

Senior Multimedia Reporter nigel.simon@guardian.co.tt The T&T Table Tennis Association (T&TTTA) has taken the decision to withdraw its senior women’s team from the upcoming International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in England. The 2026 edition, which marks an unprecedented milestone as table tennis goes home to its birthplace, with the championships featuring 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams competing across 13 days at two iconic London venues, is carded for London from April 28 to May 20, 2026. However, following a legal letter dated March 9, 2026, sent from the Virtus Chambers on behalf of France-based national player Rheann Chung, the stepdaughter of deceased former multiple T&T and Caribbean champion Dexter St Louis, the T&TTTA, in a release from its president, Sharon Bravo-Phillip, said it had taken the unfortunate but principled decision to withdraw T&T’s participation from the upcoming ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in London. T&T, one of three Caribbean teams in the tournament, had secured a wild card invitation to the competition following the withdrawal of the Cook Islands from the tournament and was set to compete in a four-team round-robin Group 15 series alongside Singapore, Hungary and Ethiopia in Stage IB at the Copper Box Arena. However, in a letter dated March 9, 2026, and addressed to Bravo-Phillip, Chung, through her lawyer Keisha Kydd-Hannibal, raised a number of issues with regard to the T&T women’s team composition and status of its registration for the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals 2026. According to Bravo-Phillip, the ITTF had committed to providing accommodation for two players on each participating team for the competition, while all members of the teams needed to secure their own travelling expenses. Bravo-Phillip stated that the cost of the airline tickets for each member to get to London was TT$8,000 each, while accommodation is currently $10,000, which will be for one player, bringing the overall budget for the TTTTA to TT$34,000. She further pointed out that as part of the regulations to compete at the tournament, each team needed to consist of no less than three players. The four players in contention were France-based Chloe Fraser, the current highest-ranked T&T woman player internationally, Chung, Jordan Thong and Imani Edwards-Taylor. However, while Fraser, Thong and Edwards had committed to helping share the financial cost to get the team to London, Chung, through her lawyers, was adamant that she would not be willing to doing so. In the letter from Chung’s lawyer, Keisha Kydd-Hannibal, which Guardian Media Sports has a copy, it requested the names of all female players presently entered by the T&TTTA for the competition, as well as confirmation as to whether the ITTF cancellation deadline of March 1 remains applicable. She also requested confirmation as to whether the deadline for submission of travel details remains operative or has been amended, and whether any financial obligation will be imposed upon Chung requiring her to subsidise or contribute to the hospitality costs of any other athlete or otherwise assume any financial burden relating to the participation of other members of the team. However, after almost two weeks of deliberation and failing to come to an amicable conclusion between all parties involved, Bravo-Phillip said the decision was made following a comprehensive internal review of matters affecting the national programme. The letter stated, “The T&TTTA confirms that it has taken the unfortunate but principled decision to withdraw from the upcoming ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in London. The release continued: “This decision follows a comprehensive internal review of matters affecting the national programme. The Association determined that proceeding under these conditions would not meet the standards required to ensure athlete welfare and optimal team cohesion.” “The T&TTTA’s responsibility for accountable leadership dictates our alignment with international good governance standards, including those enshrined in the Olympic Charter and captured within the principles espoused by the T&T Olympic Committee and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). “Recently, we have faced challenges of various types, but are devoted to rising above those obstacles. While withdrawal from such a major international event is not taken lightly, the Association is confident that this action represents the correct and responsible course, prioritising the well-being of athletes and the integrity of the programme, over short-term participation. “The T&TTTA will continue its preparations for upcoming competitions, including the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games Qualifier and Senior Caribbean Table Tennis Federation (CTTF) Championships, with a renewed focus on all aspects of high-performance readiness. “The association appreciates the continued support of its stakeholders and the national community, and remains resolute in its mandate to lead table tennis in T&T with accountability, professionalism, and athlete-centred governance.” The release stated that the T&TTTA remains firmly committed to its athletes and to the long-term development of the sport. This includes ensuring that all national representatives compete in environments that reflect the values of respect, integrity, and unity that define T&T on the international stage.