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Author Topic: Ace T&T table tennis player St Louis dies  (Read 2364 times)

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Offline Flex

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Ace T&T table tennis player St Louis dies
« on: May 17, 2019, 12:20:14 AM »
Ace T&T table tennis player St Louis dies.
By Jelani Beckles (Newsday).


T&T 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 T&T at the Olympics. St Louis, who was still good enough to represent this country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, also represented T&T 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 T&T’s most indomitable table-tennis champion and two-time Olympic qualifier, Dexter St Louis.

“Born 21 March 1968, Dexter first represented T&T 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 T&T 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.

T&T 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.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline royal

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Re: Ace T&T table tennis player St Louis dies
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2019, 06:39:16 PM »
It's sad dat it's after a man is dead that T&T has a glimpse of what he did for T&T. Associations from throughout the Caribbean and Europe are writing about the impact that St Louis had on the game. He is a T&T sports icon.
Condolences to his wife and 2 daughters.   
« Last Edit: May 19, 2019, 07:24:28 PM by royal »

Offline Deeks

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Re: Ace T&T table tennis player St Louis dies
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2019, 12:47:08 AM »
I am surprised by his passing. RIP.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Ace T&T table tennis player St Louis dies
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2019, 11:54:12 AM »
Dexter St Louis, Caribbean stalwart, passes away
By Ian Marshall, International Table Tennis Federation


It is with great sadness that the death of Trinidad and Tobago’s Dexter St Louis is announced; he passed away on Thursday 16th May following a short illness in the French city of Bordeaux where he had resided for many years.

Born on Thursday 21st March 1968, he was only 51 years old.

Dexter St Louis made his debut for Trinidad and Tobago in 1983, when 15 years old; after, in the early 1990s gaining impressive results against French players and winning a tournament in Martinique, he received a professional contract to play in the French League; for many years he represented Bordeaux.

The leading player in the Caribbean for over three decades, notably he competed in the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, the first occasion when table tennis was included in the multi-sport event. He raised the eyebrows of the locals when against England, in the group stage of the men’s team event, he remained unbeaten. Even more notably, at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, a period of 16 years later, once again he was on duty for Trinidad and Tobago.

Additionally he competed in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, later in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games; the Latin American Qualification tournament for the event in the Chinese capital city being one that all present on that occasion in Santo Domingo will never forget.

Competing for the very last available place, in the seventh game against Mexico’s Marcos Madrid, Dexter St Louis appeared down and out; he recovered, secured the vital game by the minimal two point margin, promptly ripped off his shirt and stood on the table in the guise of a successful warrior prince.

An exuberant character, a showman; in fact Dexter St. Louis was the exact opposite. In the hotel, away from the glare of the playing arena, he would be sitting reading the Financial Times or similar. It was not for him late nights and drinking; talk to him and you realised you were in the company of a very astute, intelligent associate, a man of the very highest integrity.

Most significantly, wherever he played, Dexter St Louis was respected, a fact recognised in Xalapa at the 2014 Central American Games; a special presentation was made in his honour, he accepted in his usual gracious manner.

Always on the international stage he was accompanied by his stepdaughter Rheann Chung; she competed in the recent Liebherr 2019 World Championships in Budapest. They were a team, either mixed doubles or one sitting on the bench advising the other.

He passed away surrounded by his wife, Jeromaine and two daughters, Rheann and Axelle.

A character of the sport but most importantly a sportsman in the true sense of the word, always competitive but always fair; our thoughts are with his family, Dexter St Louis is sadly missed but never forgotten.

« Last Edit: May 21, 2019, 11:58:56 AM by asylumseeker »

 

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