Qatar’s Ahmed Khalil Al Mohannadi (left) and Mohammed Abdulwahhab are hoping for an impressive performance in Durban.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar players Ahmed Khalil Al Mohannadi and Mohammed Abdulwahhab are hoping to excel at the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) which will kick off in Durban, South Africa tomorrow.
The pair will represent the country in the men’s double event which will feature top ranked teams from countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Argentina and Belgium.
The World Championships will continue until May 28. Al Mohannadi and Abdulwahhab earned qualification for the prestigious event after beating Kazakhs Iskander Kharki and Aidos Kenzhigulov 4-1 in the Asian qualifying match at home in January.
The Qatari players are taking part in the event after a busy domestic season including the Amir Cup followed by a training camp in Doha.
Al Mohannadi, who is leading the side, was hopeful of leaving a mark in the top event. “We are happy to represent our country at the World Championships which is a dream of all players,” he said ahead of team’s departure for Durban.
“It’s one of the toughest tournaments but we are looking forward to give a good performance. The event will give us a good experience,” he said.
For Abdulwahhab, the aim was to reach far in the competition.
“We are not competing in the championships for the sake of participation only. We will play to pull off upsets and reach far in the tournament,” he said.
The national team coach Daniel Tsiokas also expressed his confidence of a strong show from his side, saying the players were ready for the challenge after an intensive preparation programme.
Apart from the doubles, players from across the world will also compete for singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles titles during the event. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Hassan Al Omari has been picked among the referees for the WTTC.
Al Omari has officiated in many regional tournaments besides serving as a head referee at the Qatar International Championships.
President of Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) Khalil Al Mohannadi congratulated Al Omari for his selection as the referee at WTCC.
