Tokyo Paralympic Games: Egyptian Ibrahim Hamato changes mentalities thanks to ping-pong

Published on : 08/24/2021 – 14:53

Playing table tennis without arms is the feat that Egyptian Ibrahim Hamato, 48, has achieved after many years of training. Revealed at the Paralympic Games in Rio five years ago, the table tennis player is selected for Tokyo and intends to come back with a medal.

This athlete lives and prepares at Maadi stadium, south of Cairo. “Right now, time is running out. By the grace of God, we are very well prepared. We train all the time. Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening,” he says.

At the age of 10, he was the victim of a train accident and had to have both arms amputated. After trying his hand at football at first, he unexpectedly turned to table tennis: “My friends told me I couldn’t play a sport like this. It made me feel good. changed in a profound way. From a weak person, I became a very strong person. Other things have also changed, my children consider me a hero “.

Long relegated to the status of second-class citizens, people with disabilities are now more visible in Egyptian society. “Today, the state tries to highlight the disabled who have influence and thanks to this society accepts us more than before. We are no longer laughed at. The disabled become icons,” said Ibrahim Hamato. This year, 49 Egyptian athletes are participating in the Tokyo Paralympic Games.