VETERAN Trinidad and Tobago women's table-tennis player Rheann Chung and a men's national player, who wished to remain anonymous, have knocked the TT Table Tennis Association (TTTTA) over what they say has become a pay-to-play national selection policy.
They said the association’s inability to raise funding has resulted in national athletes having to pay for airfare, accommodation, meals, ground transport and other associated costs to represent the country at overseas competitions.
In an e-mail to Newsday, Chung, a five-time Caribbean singles champion, said the national body is not functioning as it should.
She said before the 2024 Caribbean Championships was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in April, the association sent out guidelines about funding to the selected players.
"The TTTTA will make every effort to fully or partially fund your participation in this event," the association said.
"Should the TTTTA’s funding efforts be unsuccessful, you will be required to fund yourself and upon request, the TTTTA will provide you with letters to support your fund-raising efforts."
Chung, who attended the championships, said all the players eventually "had to seek their own sponsor or funding in order to go to Santo Domingo. National representation has become a pay-and-go system! The TTTTA does not care to send the best players."
Chung said TT did not have its best team as a number of top players said they could not go.
After the Caribbean Championships, Chung said coaches were reimbursed, but not the players.
"The senior coach (I guess it is the same for the junior coaches) received a full refund, that is all his airfare and accommodation...while the national players received a partial refund of about two and a half times less refund than the coach."
With an AGM scheduled for January 11, Chung wants to see a new administration running the sport.
"I would hope for a serious, passionate and fair new leader with a group of officials who would absolutely put the players first," the 2014 Latin American Championships bronze medallist said.
She said the association needs to rely less on government funding in the future.
What does she want to see from the winner of the TTTTA election?
"A leader who would make sure that the national players are not spending their own monies to represent TT and to make sure if they do that, they are fully refunded.
"One who could activate all officials into being self-sufficient by doing fund-raising events and not only depend on the government funding and/or by sending out letters for sponsors hopelessly."
Chung said she wants to see a new leader "save and put table tennis in TT on the right path."
The accomplished men's player had similar concerns to Chung.
He has not travelled with TT teams in the past because he was unable to raise the funds for airfare and other related costs.
"I have missed tournaments due to a lack of funding and I did not want to put out money out of my own pocket," he told Newsday. "For example, in 2019 they had a trial for
