Rowena Santos has congratulated Muhammad Mudassar after he was named Brampton’s Ken Giles Amateur Athlete of the Year during the City of Brampton’s 2025 Citizen Awards ceremony held on May 7.
The award recognizes outstanding achievement and contribution to amateur sports and is named in honour of longtime Brampton sports journalist Ken Giles, who passed away in 2024.
From Pakistan to International Competition
Mudassar, a longtime resident of Brampton, contracted polio at the age of two and has used a wheelchair since childhood.
He began playing wheelchair table tennis as a teenager while attending college in Pakistan after watching classmates play the sport.
What started as curiosity eventually became an international athletic career.
Mudassar has:
- represented Table Tennis Canada for more than 15 years
- won seven international medals since 2018
- competed twice at the Pan American Games
- achieved a fifth-place finish at the 2023 Pan Am Games
He now also coaches and mentors other wheelchair table tennis athletes.
Comments from City Leaders
Rowena Santos praised Mudassar’s determination and contribution to the community:
“Muhammad Mudassar is an incredible example of perseverance and leadership. Through his success in wheelchair table tennis and his commitment to coaching others, he continues to inspire residents of all ages and abilities across Brampton. We are proud to celebrate his achievements and recognize the barriers he has helped break through sport.”
Patrick Brown also congratulated Mudassar and the other award recipients:
“Muhammad Mudassar’s journey is truly inspiring and reflects the determination, resilience and community spirit that make Brampton proud. His achievements on the international stage and his dedication to mentoring other athletes demonstrate the positive impact sports can have in building confidence, inclusion and opportunity in our community.”
Other 2025 Brampton Citizen Award Winners
Additional recipients recognized by the City of Brampton included:
- Sports Achievement Award: Brampton Canadettes U15A
- Arts Acclaim Award: Brampton Children’s Chorus
- Long-Term Service Award: Norie Blohm
- Inspirational Award: Hyacinth Singh
- Citizen of the Year (Youth): Jacob Lamonaca
- Citizen of the Year (Adult): Malcolm Scott Ching