Support continues to grow for national gymnast Thema Williams as an open letter was sent to the T&T Gymnastics Federation signed by members of the Incensed and Right Thinking Citizens. Among the signatories is Williams’ godmother, comedian and media personality Nikki Crosby.
The letter stated: “Thema Williams has not only met, but exceeded the qualifying requirements set by the T&T Gymnastics Federation (TTGF). It is with great dismay that we learn at the 11th hour that the TTGF’s board once again reversed its position and yanked Thema out of competition one day before her trials, using what can only be described as a misinterpretation of Coach John Geddert’s status report of Williams’ practice progress. Geddert is on record as saying that his report was “taken out of context and exaggerated”.
The letter continued: The selection process of T&T’s gymnastics representative for the 2016 Rio Olympics has become nothing short of a fiasco. Right-Thinking Citizens of T&T look on with a deep and abiding sense of disgust as we see yet another sporting organisation, controlled by an elitist few, resort to tactics that are underhanded and abusive, as its board membership treats with national athletes.
The TTGF’s management to date has featured inexplicably long delays with regards to announcing qualifying athletes and a degree of whimsy to some of its most recent decision-making. Further, it appears that some members of the Federation share a particular closeness to favoured gymnasts.
These are all a clear sign that something is not quite right with the internal machinations of the Federation. Further, there was the irresponsible and sexist furor made about personal photographs: all marring a period that should have been dedicated to preparation for T&T’s first-ever appearance at Olympic gymnastic qualifiers.
Given the sustained campaign to prevent Thema Williams from assuming the position she has fairly earned, we can only begin to question the behaviour and policies of the Federation, and the readiness of its board to serve the sport and its stakeholders fairly and professionally.
We note too that the TTGF is in receipt of state subventions from SPORTT (Sport Company of T&T) to the tune of approximately $500,000 annually from 2013 and 2014 accounts. We also note that current members of the TTGF were also sitting members of the board of SPORTT - the very state enterprise that was responsible for disbursing funds to sporting organizations during the time these subventions were allocated. We found this coincidence passing strange and wondered if this was perhaps a conflict of interest?
While we do not begrudge TTGF its funding for the advancement of the sport, we cannot continue to condone funding to an organization that exercises decision-making with such whimsy and fickleness. The sort of decision-making that could easily destroy the career of an up and coming athlete.
We want to believe that the body understands its duty to both its stakeholders and the wider public, of which we are members. Given the nature of the TTGF’s decisions in the lead up to gymnastic trials for Rio 2016, it appears as if the board has lost sight of its responsibilities and may in fact have abused its powers.
The letter concluded: After these most recent and questionable events, we call for a resignation of the board and a suspension of the State’s subvention to the TTGF until a new board is elected or appointed as per their constitution. We feel that this is the only way the sport of gymnastics can make its way forward in the aftermath of this fiasco.”