Ruling on table tennis appeal today

AN appeal court judge will today rule on whether a judge was correct in her decision to extend an injunction preventing the TT Table Tennis Association (TTTTA) from taking further action on its decision to select players Aaron Wilson and Yuvraaj Dookram for the Commonwealth Games.

Justice of Appeal Nolan Bereaux is today expected to rule on a procedural appeal application of the TTTTA.

The association appealed last month’s decision of Justice Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell to extend an injunction which was sought by this country’s most successful players, Dexter St Louis and Rheann Chung, and granted on two previous occasions.

The games will be held in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4-15.

In their appeal, the TTTTA’s attorneys have asserted that the judge misdirected herself and made “palpable and overriding errors” in failing to appreciate that Chung and St Louis failed to establish any cause of action against the association.

They have also complained that the judge failed to appreciate that the injunction granted was not sought by the two players in their substantive claim for redress.

The judge had also dismissed the duo’s application to refer the matter to arbitration by the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC).

The lawyers further contend that Donaldson-Honeywell failed to appreciate that it was the TTTTA’s selection committee that had selected two players to the games, which was ratified by the association’s management committee in accordance with its constitution, and by allowing the injunction, she prevented Wilson and Dookram from being ratified by the TTOC for participation at the games in April.

A trial has been set for March 5, two days before the deadline for entries for the Gold Coast games. France-based professionals Chung and St Louis are seeking to overturn the decision to omit them from the national team.

The two players are seeking compensation for breach of contract, conspiracy and/or unlawful interference.

The TTTTA has argued that neither St Louis nor Chung adhered to the national selection policy implemented at the association’s AGM in January 2016. The selection policy states that those who wish to be considered for of national selection must compete in at least one local tournament on the TTTTA calendar and have a podium finish in the last nine months.

Attorneys Mathew G W Gayle, sports lawyer Dr Emir Crowne and Sheriza Khan are representing Chung and St Louis while Kiel Tacklalsingh, Dinesh Rambally and Steffan Ramkissoon are representing the TTTTA.