IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh remembered Chowhan as a 'committed and sincere adminstrator.'

'He was so dedicated and commitment to his work. He held so many posts and national and international level and would discharge his duties with responsibility. Every week he would turn up for meetings without fail. You never had to remind him.

'In his last assignment, he was the chef-de-mission for the Asian Youth Games in Singapore two months back. He was not well, but still he went because he was nominated.

'It's a sad day for me. Personally I have lost a good friend. He has done a lot for Table Tennis and for the Olympic movement,' Singh said.

During his tenure, India performed well in table tennis on the world stage, winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth championships and two gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games for the first time.

India also won a host of medals at the junior level.

TTFI also ranks high in arranging exposure trips for juniors and bringing international tournaments to India.

'He connected well with the players. He knew each player personally. He would take care of the expenses of the junior players if they were not able to afford it,' said V.K. Bawa, who had a long association with Chowhan as the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board secretary.