The 38-year-old multiple medallist begins a new four-year term as chairman after a vote at the ZEN-NOH 2014 World Team Table Tennis Championships in the Japanese capital Tokyo.

Belarusian Samsonov said: "Representing the athletes is a great honour, but I am also aware of my responsibilities.

"I am very excited, and will work very hard in order to justify the trust the athletes have placed in me.''

"It will be a pleasure to work with the old and new Athletes' Commission members, and I am excited to get back to work for the good of the athletes."

Samsonov spent 15 years inside the world's top 10, winning World Championship silver in the singles in 1997, World Cup gold in 1999, 2001 and 2009, and European Championship gold in 1998, 2003 and 2005.

He will be joined by four athletes elected by their peers to serve on the Athletes' Commission until 2018.

They are Belgian Jean-Michel Saive, Croatian Zoran Primorac, Krisztina Toth of Hungary and David Powell of Australia.

Athletes Wang Liqin of China and Ashu Jain of the United States were nominated by the Athletes' Commission to serve on it, while Angela Mori of Peru, Elsayed Lashin of Egypt and Yu Kwok See April of Hong Kong were nominated by the ITTF Executive Committee.

A new representative to represent the interests of Para players on the Athletes' Commission will be elected at the ITTF PTT World Championships in September. 

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