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Senior Multimedia Reporter
T&T’s national women’s table tennis team participation at the upcoming International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals Championships in London from April 28 to May 20, 2026, could well be determined in the courtroom.
The local women’s team, one of three Caribbean teams in the tournament, secured a wild card invitation to the competition following the withdrawal of Cook Islands from the tournament and will compete in a four-team round-robin Group 15 series alongside Singapore, Hungary and Ethiopia in Stage IB at the Copper Box Arena.
However, T&T’s participation could all hinge on the outcome of a legal dispute after T&T Table Tennis Association (TTTTA) President Sharon Bravo-Phillip acknowledged she had received a legal letter 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.
In the letter, which was 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.
In the letter Kydd-Hannibal requested the names of all female players presently entered by the TTTTA 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.
Kydd-Hannibal noted that her client remains willing and available to represent T&T at the Championships, consistent with her previous confirmation of availability.
However, the continued absence of transparency concerning team entry and administrative deadlines is concerning, particularly given the time-sensitive nature of international travel arrangements. Bravo-Phillip and the TTTTA were given five days from receiving the letter to respond.
Reached for comment, Bravo-Phillip confirmed the TTTTA had received Chung’s lawyers’ letter from Keith Scotland SC’s Virtus Chambers.
With regard to the national team participation in London, Bravo-Phillip said the TTTA was still in the process of finalising a team from the quartet of Chung, Chloe Fraser, Imani Edwards-Taylor and Jordan Thong.
According to Bravo-Phillip, the ITTF has committed to providing accommodation for two players on each participating team for the competition, while all members of the teams must secure their own travelling expenses.
“In terms of the cost to the T&TTTA, Bravo-Phillip stated that the cost of the airline tickets for each member of the T&T team at present to get to London is 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.
Bravo-Phillip further added that the association has already been in communication with the Sport Company of T&T (Sportt) and has requested financial assistance for the team to compete at the tournament, and they will continue to have dialogue until a final decision comes on the support that will be provided, if any.
Bravo-Phillip noted that at a recently held meeting, attending the source of funding and discussions about the teams’ participation were discussed.
She added, ‘At that last TTTTA, the trio of France-based Fraser, the reigning national women’s singles champion; Edwards-Taylor, the top-ranked local women’s player; and Thong were all present along with their respective representatives, while Chung nor her representative were present.’
“At the meeting, Bravo-Phillip said the sharing of the cost to fund the team’s expenses to London was discussed amongst those present, and it was agreed to by all those present at the meeting that they would work together to come up with the necessary funds to help cover the overall budget.”
The T&TTTA boss noted that as part of the regulations to compete at the tournament, each team must consist of no less than three players, and barring this, the team will not be allowed to compete in the tournament.
When questioned if there is any criteria for team selection, Bravo-Phillip said they were not aware of any, but at the same time Fraser was the current highest-ranked T&T woman player internationally, followed by Chung and Thong, while Edwards-Taylor is not ranked internationally.
“Based on being the top two ranked players, our intention is to have Fraser and Chung as the first two selections on the team, with the third player being either Thong or Edwards-Taylor,” added Bravo-Phillip.
Asked if Chung opted out of the team, Bravo-Phillip said they have the commitment of the trio of Fraser, Thong and Edwards-Taylor to try and secure their funding, so T&T will still have a team.
“But, at the same time, we also have to be certain that there will be no legal ramifications for us if we do decide to go in that direction as things stand, so we are also consulting with our legal persons before making a final decision,” stated Bravo-Phillip.
The 2026 edition of the World Team Championships marks an unprecedented milestone as table tennis comes 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.
Competition will unfold across three stages: Stage 1B features group stages determining qualification pathways, followed by Stage 1A seeding matches for the top-ranked teams, before Stage Two delivers knockout rounds showcasing the world’s finest teams in pursuit of global supremacy.
The three other Caribbean Table Tennis Federation (CTTF) teams in the women’s draw are Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, all in Stage IB as well.
Cuba will compete against Portugal, Luxembourg and Guatemala in Group Ten; the Dominican Republic faces the USA, Malaysia and Tahiti in Group 12, while Puerto Rico is grouped with Austria, Ghana and Angola in Group 14.
The teams finishing first in each of the 14 groups will advance into Stage 2 at OVO Arena Wembley along with six second-placed teams, with their selection based on the best ratio of wins to losses (first in team matches, then individual matches, then games and points, as far as is necessary to resolve the order).
The remaining eight second-placed teams will play a single preliminary round knockout drawn at random, with the four winners progressing to Stage Two.
In total, 24 teams in each gender will qualify from Stage 1B to Stage Two.
In Stage 1A Group One, the quartet of China, the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and Romania will do battle, while Group Two features Japan, Germany, France and host England.
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