Kathmandu: The French Embassy, in partnership with Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) and All Nepal Table Tennis Association (ANTTA) hosted a one-hour table tennis session as part of #RelayAroundTheWorld. #RelayAroundTheWorld is a French government sports diplomacy initiative that takes place across French embassies around the world. The 2026 edition brought together the French Embassy, the Nepal Olympic Committee, and All Nepal Table Tennis Association, with national table tennis athletes joining the activity.
The event reflected France’s commitment to building people-to-people connections through sport. It follows Nepal’s historic first Olympic medal, won at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics by para taekwondo athlete Palesha Goverdhan.
Virginie Corteval, Ambassador of France to Nepal, said during the event, “”This event is an occasion to cultivate our relations with the Nepali sports ecosystem. Nepal’s achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympics is a proud moment, and we are glad to celebrate the spirit of sport together.”
Similarly, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, the President of Nepal Olympic Committee, was of the view that organising events such as this by embracing the values of excellence, respect, and friendship, will further strengthen the relations between Nepal and France at the people-to-people level.
The participants included athletes from various disciplines, officials from NOC, ANTTA, and the French Embassy and the Alliance française as well as representatives from media.
The #RelayAroundTheWorld connects French embassies and local sports communities across the globe each year.
