Jordanian Khetam Abu-Awad claimed a straight games victory over Panwas Sringam of Thailand in their Table Tennis Women’s Singles match at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games on Wednesday afternoon.
In the Class 5 Group B clash, Abu-Awad, 46, defeated her opponent 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gym, on a day that saw other Arab athletes struggle to win their opening fixtures.
The exception to several Egyptian participants was Sayed Youssef, who beat his Australian opponent Jake Ballestrino 3-1 (11-5, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9) in their Men’s Singles Class 7 Group E match. The 37-year-old will meet Israel Pereira of Brazil on Thursday afternoon.
But his compatriots were less successful.
Ayman Zenaty lost 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-1) to Valentin Baus of Germany in the Men’s Singles Class 5 and will tomorrow face Ali Ozturk of Turkey in his second Group D match. Ibrahim Hamadtou lost to Park Hong Kyu of South Korea 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-9) in the Men’s Singles Class 6 Group E. And Sameh Saleh went down 3-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-8) to Frenchman Maxime Thomas in Class 4 Group C.
Meanwhile in the Women’s Singles Class 5 Group A, Faiza Mahmoud of Egypt lost out to Bian Zhang of China 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-3).
Meanwhile, Tunisian Karim Gharsallah went down 3-0 (11-3, 11-6, 11-2) to Frenchman Lucas Cringe in their Men’s Singles Class 11 Group D meeting.
