Hamadto, 41, is armless. He lost both his upper limbs in a
train accident when he was just 10 years old. But the terrible misfortune
didn't stop him from pushing himself to follow his dreams.
"In our village, we could only play, at that time,
table tennis and soccer -- that's why I played both," Hamadto, who hails
from Kafr Saad in northeastern Egypt, told CNN. "It was logic to play
soccer first due to my case; then I played table tennis as a challenge."
Starting at 13, Hamadto spent years working hard to perfect
his game -- initially he tried different options at gripping the bat, including
holding it under his armpit, before deciding to handle it with his mouth.
"It was quite difficult playing table tennis after the accident,"
Hamadto recalled. "I had to practice hard for three consecutive years on a
daily basis. At the beginning, people were amazed and surprised seeing me
playing. They encouraged and supported me a lot and they were very proud of my
willing, perseverance and determination."
People were also very proud of his athletic achievements.
Hamadto, who is married and a father of three, has won several honors over the
years, including the silver medal in the African Para-Table Tennis
Championships last year.
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