Choudhary included in ITTF’s Board of Directors

New Delhi, May 17, 2013: Dhanraj Choudhary, secretary-general of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), was elected as one of the Board of Directors (BoD) to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) during the Annual General Meeting held at the ongoing World Championships in Paris last evening. 

This is the first time ever that an Indian representative has made it to the decision-making body of the international federation. Choudhary was nominated to the BoD by the Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU), following his unrelenting service to the sport in the region, particularly India. In fact, it is the Board which manages the work of ITTF between AGMs with several committees, commissions, working groups or panels coming under it.

“I feel honoured to have been elected to the BoD of the IITF. I have an added responsibility of discharging my duties towards promoting the game globally. I will do it with all consciousness and to the fullest ability. But, first and foremost, I will want to take Indian table tennis to another level,” he said from Paris. 

Choudhary has been associated with table tennis for more than two decades, first as a player—he has represented his state and employer LIC—and then as a bright technical hand. He was part of the ITTF’s technical committee until last year when it was wound up to take another form.

Even otherwise, Choudhary has been among the jury members of various technical committees, representing the country at various international events, including the CWG, Asian Games, Olympics and World Championships. To his credit, Choudhary was heading the technical teams of two of the three World Championships that India organized in 1975 (Kolkata) and 1987 (New Delhi).

Choudhary took over as secretary-general of the Indian body when his predecessor Moolchand Chouhan died in office in 2009.

In fact, Choudhary was assured of a position by Adham Sharara, who has been reelected to as president of the world body for yet another term, when Choudhary successfully hosted the World Junior Table Tennis Championships at Hyderabad last December with less than a year to prepare following the last-minute pullout by South Africa.

A TTFI Press release