The following article was first published in the Trinidad And Tobago Express on Friday 21st February, 2020.
You can read the entire article on their website HERE.
An Arbitral Tribunal Panel has ruled in favour of Rheann Chung in the France-based professional’s case against the Trinidad and Tobago Table Tennis Association (TTTTA).
Chung invoked T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) arbitration over the decision that she must play in the March 1 national team trials to be considered for selection for the April 3-8 Caribbean Senior Championships in Cuba and the April 15-19 Olympic Qualifier in Argentina.
Following Tuesday’s arbitration hearing, the panel, chaired by Chess Association (TTCA) president Sonja Johnson, determined that Chung “should be given an exemption for the two upcoming events”. The panel also included Joseph Howard. A third member, Nicole Applewhite was unable to attend the hearing.
In a four-page ruling, Johnson explained the rationale for the panel’s decision.
“As per the TTTTA Constitution and Selection Policy, there is no section or language that prevents a decision to exempt a player from trials. There was a change in the approach to the selection, though the policy document did not change. This was done within a few weeks of an upcoming event.
“Rheann was correctly assessed as being eligible to participate in the upcoming events,” Johnson continued, “but it did not seem that her level of performance was sufficiently weighed. There is precedent in several sports for persons not to participate in national trials as well as instances that separate arrangements are made for top players, especially if they reside abroad.
“The primary objective as agreed by all parties, is to get the best team. The revised approach seems to put the achievement of this objective at risk as it presents any international player, including Rheann, at an unfair disadvantage, especially given the short time frame and the need to self-fund the return.”
Chung, a five-time Caribbean women’s singles champion, told the Express she was pleased with the arbitration ruling.
“I’m very satisfied to once again be victorious against the TTTTA who has constantly been against me and my (step) dad Dexter St Louis. I thank my lawyers Dr Emir Crowne, Matthew Gayle, Jason Jones and the New City Chambers staff for fighting on my behalf. I thank Dexter. Clause 31 of the TTOC constitution was changed because of his fight, giving athletes the right to invoke arbitration.”
St Louis passed away last May following a brief illness.
Gayle and Jones represented Chung at Tuesday’s hearing. The TTTTA’s 2019 Sportswoman of the Year nominee joined in via video link. In attendance for the TTTTA were president David Joseph, 1st vice president Leon Elliott and general secretary Edwin Caines, as well as attorney Derrick Redman.
Contacted yesterday, Joseph declined to comment on the ruling.
Gayle said that while he is happy that Chung has been granted the exemption from trials that she sought, the ongoing saga is disturbing.
“The right decision was reached, and the TTTTA must now advise of Rheann’s exemption and move forward. Because the TTTTA has been acting consistently to attempt to exclude Rheann and previously Rheann and her father Dexter St Louis, and have been doing so even without regard to their own rules and selection policy, unfortunately I wasn’t surprised this would be the outcome.
“This is the third substantive case in as many years that my client has had to fight against the association just to do what is fair. But is this going to be the last one? Obviously, Rheann remains anxious that they will continue to act in the unfair manner they have acted in the past,” Gayle ended. “Of course we will continue to fight them anytime that they do.”
