Meet the Table Tennis Champion Who’s Playing at the Paralympics Using His Mouth and Feet

 

Meet Ibrahim Hamadto. He’s an Egyptian Paralympian, and he’s competing in the Paralympic Games for the second time.

When Hamadto was only 10-years-old, he lost his arms in a tragic train accident. However, he didn’t give up on playing table tennis and learned to play using his foot to toss the ball up and use his mouth to hold the paddle.

“In our village, we could only play, at that time, table tennis and soccer – that’s why I played both,” Hamadtou told CNN in 2014. “It was logical to play soccer first due to my case, then I played table tennis as a challenge.”

For this Paralympian, he spoke of his struggle, telling CNN he had to “practice hard for three consecutive years.”
“At the beginning, people were amazed and surprised seeing me playing. They encouraged and supported me a lot and they were very proud of my willing, perseverance and determination,” he said.

Earlier in August, the table tennis player showcased his skills at the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo, where he played against some of the biggest names in the sport.

In fact, for the audience watching Hamadto play, seeing the way he creatively gets into the game and defends and attacks, shows persistence is key if you want to accomplish your goals.

“I believe that nothing is impossible, as long as you work hard,” said Hamadto. “This is the message I would like to send people.”

Watch some of Ibrahim Hamadto’s memorable Paralympic moments in the video below.

 

 

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