The 37th Congress of the Association of National and regional Olympic Committees (ANOC) opened in Cascais, Portugal on October 30, local time. Chinese table tennis player Mâron won the outstanding career award (Men) at the China Standard Time ceremony in the early hours of October 31.
The honor is a nod to Mâron, the first table tennis player to receive the ANOC International Olympic Association’s Outstanding Athletic Career Award. “It is my great honor to thank the International Olympic Committee for this award, and I stand here today not only on behalf of myself, but also on behalf of the Chinese table tennis team,” the 36-year-old Mâron said in an interview, for the national table tennis team struggle for 21 years, is his greatest achievement.
Mâron started playing table tennis at the age of five and joined the national team in 2003. Since winning his first gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, Mâron has won six gold medals in four consecutive games, the most of any Chinese athlete. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, MÂRON successfully defended his men’s singles title, becoming the world’s first men’s “Double grand slam” in table tennis.
“The last 21 years of my career have been a long journey,” Mâron said. “I was lucky enough to find my love, table tennis, at an early age, and always dreamed of playing in the Olympics.”, i always embrace the dream, passion and love of table tennis, willing to pay all for this sport, never give up.
Mâron said he hoped that with his efforts and those of the world table tennis community, the sport would develop better and become stronger than ever.
At the ceremony, Ding Ning, member of the Athletes’ Committee of the International Olympic Association and Chairman of the Olympic Council of Asia Athletes’ Committee, presented an award to the Danish men’s handball team, the best men’s sports team.
The ANOC International Olympic Committee ceremony began in 2014, according to its website, the awards recognize the outstanding achievements of the NOC -NationaloOlympicmCommitteettee) and its athletes, as well as members of Olympicmpic family.