Former Qatar Table Tennis Champion Tells QNA: The Championship Will Be a Great Success at All Levels – It Will Be Held in Doha from May 17 to 25Qatar

Qatar news agency

Doha, May 13 (QNA) – Hamad Al-Hammadi, former champion of the Qatar national table tennis team, confirmed that the Doha 2025 World Table Tennis Championship will achieve outstanding success at all levels, thanks to the competence and experience of Qatari professionals.

In an interview with the Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al-Hammadi said that Qatari professionals have made significant progress in organizing championships and have become a model followed by many countries.

He explained that the major tournaments hosted by Qatar in various sports have greatly enriched the experience of Qatari organizers, citing as prime evidence the spectacular and flawless organizational success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which received widespread international acclaim.

Regarding the 2025 World Table Tennis Championship in Doha, he said:

“The professionals at the Qatar Table Tennis Association, led by Khalil Al-Mohannadi, have extensive experience in organizing tournaments. Hosting the World Table Tennis Championship is not new to them—they successfully organized it back in 2004. I expect this edition to be exceptional and stunning by all standards.”

Al-Hammadi praised Khalil Al-Mohannadi’s experience and capabilities, stating:

“Al-Mohannadi is one of the key figures who have contributed immensely to Qatari sports. He has been involved in table tennis since before my playing career began. He has held numerous positions, including administrative roles within the Table Tennis Federation, head of delegation, federation member, and eventually president. He has also assumed several roles at the Arab, Asian, and international levels.”

Al-Hammadi expressed pride in the many titles he won throughout his two-decade sports career, making him one of Qatar’s most decorated and accomplished sports stars.

“It is an honor to be the first Qatari to achieve such accolades in table tennis. My achievements began with a bronze medal at the Arab Junior Championship in 1992, followed by gold medals at the Arab Championships in 1995 (Tunisia) and 1997 (Jordan). I also qualified for the Olympic Games twice—Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000—and won several Gulf Championships in singles, doubles, and team categories.”

He emphasized that participating in the Olympics holds special significance, unlike other regional or international tournaments:

“In 1996, I was proud that table tennis was one of only three sports Qatar participated in at the Atlanta Olympics (along with athletics and shooting). By the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the Qatari delegation had grown and competed in five sports: athletics, weightlifting, table tennis, shooting, and swimming.”He expressed his pride in representing Qatar in table tennis at both Olympic Games.

Al-Hammadi mentioned that he participated in seven editions of the World Table Tennis Championships, in the years:

• 1995 (China)

• 1997 (Manchester)

• 2000 (Malaysia)

• 2001 (Japan)

• 2003 (France)

• 2004 (Doha)

• 2005 (Germany)

The most memorable for him was Japan 2001, which was the first edition where the team, singles, and doubles competitions were held separately.

“We were close to finishing in the world’s top 20–30. We had a tough match against Chile, the South American champions, and led 2–0. But time zone differences and fatigue affected our performance, and we lost. We couldn’t achieve the ranking we aimed for.”He added that the previous format, where all categories were combined in a single event, was very exhausting for players, who had to compete in three formats over 7–10 days.

On winning the Arab Championship title twice, Al-Hammadi explained:

His first victory came at the 1995 Arab Table Tennis Union Cup in Tunisia, which cemented his place among the sport’s elite.In his second appearance in 1997 in Jordan, he faced the pressure of expectations and succeeded in capturing his second Arab title.

Regarding his retirement decision in 2006, Al-Hammadi said:

“Every beginning has an end. Although coaches encouraged me to continue and said I still had more to give, I chose to retire after winning all the regional titles—Arab and Gulf—and qualifying twice for the Olympics. What remained was an Asian or World title, which is difficult to achieve at an advanced age in table tennis. So I decided to retire. My farewell match was against Belarusian star Vladimir Samsonov at Aspire Academy.”

He concluded his interview with QNA by stating:

“The making of champions begins with nurturing and refining talent in any sport to elevate it to global standards. Talents that aren’t cultivated tend to fade quickly.”