Star Indian paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal has become the first player from the country to get elected in the Athletes’ Commission of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
Kamal is among ten athletes elected by their peers out of 25 candidates; they will serve a four-year term from 2022 to 2026. Eight athletes (four male and as many female) were elected from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania, The remaining two positions have been made up by para-athletes.
The development comes close on the heels of the 40-year-old Indian table tennis torch bearer being elected vice-chairman of the Athletes’ Commission of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
Talking of the international honour, Sharath, a multiple Commonwealth Games medallist, felt humbled and happy to know that he got the highest number of votes from Asia, ahead of other candidates from the continent. Liu Shiwen, elected from the female quota, is the other Asian on the Commission.
“I am bowled over and humbled by the recognition. I thank the whole of Asia and all the voters for showering such affection with faith and the CoA (Committee of Administrators) for forwarding my name to ITTF,” said Sharath in a release issued by Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).
All members of the Athletes’ Commission will be invited to the forthcoming ITTF Summit in December in Amman, Jordan. At the summit, the commission along with IOC Athletes’ Commission member Ryu Seung-Min, will elect two chairs to sit on the ITTF executive committee. For the first time the two chairs will be one man and one woman to ensure gender parity.
