THE TT Table Tennis Association (TTTTA) will hold a special annual meeting on November 13 to elect new officers following resignations. Former acting president of the TTTTA Richard Copeland, who was one of those who resigned, defended the association against claims that financial reports were not done recently. Copeland said the association tried to carry the sport forward.
A statement from the TTTTA management on Sunday said, “The TTTTA has had a number of resignations from the executive leaving four out of nine as of October 28, 2022. In order that the sport gets the best possible representation and management, the current officers have indicated that they will step down from office.
“The SGM will be virtual and will be guided by the mandates of the TTTTA constitution.”
Article 8.7.4. of the TTTTA constitution states that “The quorum shall be 15 persons provided that at least 75 per cent of the persons eligible to attend and vote are represented.”
The statement said the “agenda is solely for the purpose of electing nine members of the TTTTA executive.”
The positions are president, first vice-president, second vice-president, third vice-president, general secretary, two assistant secretaries, treasurer and public relations officer.
The National Championships scheduled for November 12, 13, 19, 20 and 23 will not take place because of the SGM.
An anonymous source of the TT table tennis fraternity told Newsday they were unsatisfied with how the association was being run.
Among the issues raised were no financial reports completed in over a year, inability to attract sponsors, members interested in personal gain, holding meetings without a quorum and disciplinary matters not being dealt with.
Asked why he thought there were so many resignations recently, Copeland, said, “At the end of the day when we did originally form, we formed to carry table tennis away from a certain path that it was going. We were elected uncontested, so there was nobody else willing to go up to get those positions. The people who would have resigned before me…those guys are real professional people. Running a sport is very tough, so they would have had their own personal reasons for resigning.”
Copeland was the acting president for a few months but held positions of first vice-president and second vice-president previously since April 2021.
Copeland, responding to the lack of financial reports being completed in the TTTTA, said, “I don’t know anything about no financial reports (being done). Our treasurer is very diligent in his work. As a matter of fact he does not sign off on anything, so I am not so sure about no financial reports or anything like that.”
Copeland said the past administration gave it their all.
“The previous administration was different from other administrations and a lot of the fraternity was concerned about the direction of table tennis. A lot of us from different zones came together and said, ‘Listen we can’t just be complaining and criticising. We have to step up.’”
Copeland said members of
