Urgent appeal granted for table tennis body

THE TT Table Tennis Association (TTTTA) has succeeded in obtaining an urgent appeal of a judge’s decision which has prevented it from taking further action on its decision to select players Aaron Wilson and Yuvraaj Dookram for the Commonwealth Games.

Justice of Appeal Nolan Bereaux, in a ruling delivered yesterday, agreed to have the appeal of the association treated expeditiously.

A hearing before a full panel of three appellate judges is likely later this week. 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 application for an expedited appeal, the association’s attorneys contended that the injunction imposed by Justice Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell prevents it from taking any action for the Gold Coast games to be held in April.

They say the effect of the order inhibits the two selected players from onward participation in the event. The association’s lawyers have also pointed out that the deadline for the ratification of the two players by the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) was March 5, the day after the trial of the issues before the judge.

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. 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 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.