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The West Asian Table Tennis Championship was held in Bahrain for the first time, with Bahrain’s Saar club and Bahrain team finishing second and third in the men’s championship. Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli team took home the top prize.
Twelve teams from Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Oman and Qatar were in Bahrain for the Third West Asian Table Tennis Championship last weekend.
In the final match between Saar club of Bahrain and the Al Ahli team of Saudi Arabia, Saar professional player Aruna made a strong debut beating Saudi’s Nayef Al Jadai 3-0 and Hu Yung by the same score, boosting his team’s chances.
The Saudi team managed to equalise through Ali Al Khadrawi and Hu Yung, who beat Elyas Alyas and Anwar Makki i 3-1 and 3-0, respectively.
Makki then lost the fifth match 3-1 which enabled Al Ahli to seal the game and win the trophy.
Meanwhile, Bahrain Team finished third in the championship to claim the bronze medal after beating Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad 3-1.
Abbas Kadhim, Director of the third West Asia Table Tennis Championship and Vice President of the Saar Cultural and Sports Club said, “It was a very thrilling final match. Everyone brought their best game and Saudi Arabia’s victory was well-earned.”
In the women’s championship, three clubs competed. A’Ali from Saudi Arabia won first place and Al Kittara from Kuwait won second place.
Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Control and Licences at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Dr Shaikh Saqr bin Salman Al Khalifa presented the 2019 champions with the trophy.
Abbas added: “We would like to thank Bahrain Table Tennis Association President Her Excellency Shaikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa and the Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Aymen Tawfiq Almoayyed for their support of the sport and the West Asian Championship cup.”
Bahrain’s professional ‘ping-pongers’ will reunite in February for the League of Bahrain championship.
