OMAR Assar, Egyptian table tennis player, said he was, indeed, excited that Africa would be presenting two players for this year’s ITTF World Cup in Liege, Belgium. He believed that the development had confirmed that the continent was making giant stride in table tennis.

Assar, who is in Group C alongside Russia’s Alexander Shibaev and Belgium’s Cedric Nuytinck in the first round of the tournament which serves off on October 20, at the Country Hall in Liege told NationSport at the official hotel of the competition – Park Inn that being the first time Africa would be having two players competing at the World Cup, showing that Africa is no longer a pushover globally in table tennis.

“I think having two African players at the World Cup is no child’s play as it is a long years of hardwork from the players. Unlike before when for years, we have only one player emerging from the hundreds of players in Africa competing either at the African Cup or Top 16 Cup. This goes to show that Quadri and I have raised the profile of Africa in global table tennis as everybody now see the continent as among the best in the world.

“I am so happy and I just hope we can make things happen in the tournament but I must be sincere that it is the best 20 players in the world that are competing and we should not too complacent but play our best against the best to be able to make some points in the tournament,” Assar said.

The Egyptian believes the training he had in Dusseldorf, Germany helped to prepare him well for the championship as he hopes to advance from the group. “I have prepared very well for this tournament in Dusseldorf and I am optimistic that with the training I can do well by first of all qualifying from the group.”        – The Nation

– Oct 20, 2017 @ 16:45 GMT |