Ace paddler Sharath Kamal was announced as the first Indian ambassador of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) foundation at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium during day 11 of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) season five on Sunday.
Sharath, who was elected into the ITTF’s Athlete’s Commission back in November 2022, was bestowed with the honour in the presence of Her Highness Zeina Shaban, princess of Jordan and a two-time Olympian, and Vita Dani, Chairperson of the UTT. Shaban and Dani are both board members of the ITTF Foundation.
“I am what I am because of table tennis. This is a great opportunity for me to give back to the sport’s community,” Sharath told the broadcaster after receiving the honour.
Sharath, who was the male flag-bearer of India at the recently concluded Paris Olympics, is captaining Chennai Lions in the ongoing iteration of the UTT.
The 42-year-old also holds the distinction of having the most number of medals in the sport in Commonwealth Games history, with a record 13 in his kitty. This includes three golds and a silver medal which he clinched at the 2022 Birmingham Games.
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