PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC- Leading Trinidad and Tobago female badminton player, Nekeisha Blake, who was banned for life from the sport, has been granted a reprieve.
An appeals committee of the Trinidad and Tobago Badminton Association (T&TBA) reduced Blake’s lifetime ban to a year after she protested the initial decision of the Disciplinary Committee.
Blake and her team of lawyers argued that the lifetime ban was a breached of natural justice and complained that the Disciplinary Committee failed to clearly state the reason for imposing the penalty.
“A ban is still a ban, but I give God thanks for everything. I am weighing my options at the moment,” said Blake in a telephone interview with the Guardian.
“Badminton is the love of my life but I am keeping busy with other ventures while I continue to trust in God.”
The charges against Blake ranged from not maintaining respect towards officials and athletes to refusing to obey orders from a head coach during training.
Blake, who has represented T&T for 17 years, will be free to resume her career in August when the one year retroactive ban expires.
