UNITED NATIONS, Feb 15: Tennis world number one Maria Sharapova on Wednesday became the latest celebrity appointed goodwill ambassador of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), pledging to use her charisma and fame to galvanise support for the fight against world poverty.

At a news conference here at the UN headquarters, the 19-year-old Russian star also donated 100,000 dollars to eight UNDP recovery projects. —AFP