Mediterranean Games: Egypt Wins Gold In Women’s Table Tennis
Egypt’s women’s table tennis team made history by winning the country’s first-ever Gold medal in the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Oran, Algeria.
The three-woman team, which features veteran Dina Meshref, former African Singles champion Mariam Alhodaby, and teenager Hana Goda, reigning African Singles champion, defeated Italy 3-2 in the final to win Gold.
Egypt’s path to the final was a clean sweep, defeating Algeria and Tunisia during the group stage, followed by a victory over Serbia in the semi-finals.
The exceptional 14-year-old talent Goda beat the 38-year-old Italian champion in the crucial match and guided Egypt to the gold medal of the Mediterranean Games for the first time in history.
It was a tough 3-hour long encounter in the final for the Egyptian ladies.
All three athletes set a sporting precedent after featuring in the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) top 50 rankings at the same time, with Meshref at 45th, Alhodaby at 43rd, and Goda at 35th.
Meanwhile, the men’s team of Omar Assar, Ahmed Saleh and Mohammed El-Beiali were stopped by Greece 3-1 in the quarter finals.
CN/ITTF-Africa.
