In the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, a 48-year-old Egyptian athlete, Hamadtou, makes a great impression on a lot of people.
Holding the bat in his mouth, the para—table tennis champion attracts the audience by throwing the ball up high with his right foot. Sinking through the air, the little white ball meets his bat and comes out like a bullet with a powerful spin.
Hamadtou's performance moves millions of people. Comments and praise on him flood from all over the world, with about 300 million messages on different social media.
Hamadtou was a carpenter. He lost his two arms by falling down the railway platform on his way home. But it didn't change his love for table tennis.
Starting at 13, Hamadtou spent years working hard to perfect his game. Initially, he tried different ways to hold the bat, including holding it under his armpit, before deciding to handle it with his mouth.
In 2011, he got the second place in the African Table Tennis Games for the disabled. Deeply touched by Hamadtou, Chairman of International Table Tennis Federation invited him to participate in the World Table Tennis Championship as a guest of honor in 2014. In the competition, Hamadtou played games with some world—famous athletes like Ma Long. Later Hamadtou took part in the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
"It was quite difficult playing table tennis after the accident," Hamadtou recalled. "I had to practice hard for three years on a daily basis. In the beginning, people was amazed and surprised seeing me playing. Then they encouraged and supported me a lot. "
"I believe that nothing is impossible, as long as you work hard," added Hamadtou. "This is the message I would like to send to people. "
One of the comments of a netizen goes "We are very proud of his will, perseverance and determination."
