[UPDATED] Ace TT table tennis player St Louis dies

TT table tennis player Dexter St Louis has died at 51, after what is being described as a short illness.

St Louis was this country’s most decorated table tennis player, having competed at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and, at 40, participated at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was the only person to represent TT at the Olympics. St Louis, who was still good enough to represent this country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, also represented TT at the Central American and Caribbean Games and the Pan American Games.

A multiple Caribbean champion, he was also a formidable force with his stepdaughter Rheann Chung in mixed doubles.

He died in France, where he had lived for a number of years.

Attorney Matthew Gayle, in a press release, said, “On behalf of the family of Dexter St Louis, it is with great regret and sadness that we announce the death of TT’s most indomitable table-tennis champion and two-time Olympic qualifier, Dexter St Louis.

“Born 21 March 1968, Dexter first represented TT in table tennis in 1983, at the age of 15. In the early 1990s after defeating France-based players and winning the tournament in Martinique he received his first full professional contract to play with a club in France. Dexter will be remembered for his relentless work ethic, sense of humour and passion for justice, as well as for his honesty, fair-play and his open and transparent approach to sport and to life.”

The release said St Louis died “on the evening of Thursday 16 May, 2019 in Bordeaux, France, surrounded by his wife, Jeromaine and two daughters, Rheann and Axelle. He will be dearly missed. The family welcomes prayers at this time, but ask that in this difficult time they be allowed to grieve in private.”

Before the 2018 Commonwealth Games, St Louis and Chung battled with the TT Table Tennis Association over who would represent this country at the games.

St Louis and Chung questioned the process used by the association to select Aaron Wilson and Yuvraaj Dookram. Just before a legal showdown between the parties in March 2018, it was decided that all four players would represent TT at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia from April 4-15.

This story was originally published with the title "TT table tennis player Dexter St Louis dies" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

TT table tennis player Dexter St Louis has died at age 51.

Details of his death are not clear at this time. St Louis was this country's most decorated table tennis player, having competed at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he took part in the men's singles.

At 40 he participated at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and last year was still good enough to represent this country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. St Louis and his stepdaughter Rheann Chung were a formidable force in local tennis. At the time of his death he was in France, where he had lived for a number of years.

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