Egyptian para-table tennis player Ibrahim Hamato has no arms, yet he can put almost any amateur ping-pong player to shame. How he is able to handle the paddle with his mouth and actually direct his shots is still a mystery to me, but watching him play is fascinating

“I had an accident when I was 10 years old but I loved table tennis,” Ibrahim says. “Three years after my accident, I wanted to play again holding the racket under my arm, but it didn’t work out. After trying different options, I found myself playing with my mouth.” The inspiring athlete was invited to be the guest of honor at the World Team Table Tennis Championships held in Tokyo this year. A short video clip shows him playing with some of the world’s best players – and they look like they’re struggling to keep up with him! His serve is incredible, and some of his shots are truly spectacular. “I feel very happy that I got this invitation from Mr. Sharara,” he said.  It is a big reward for me to watch the best players in the world in Tokyo and I hope this shows people that nothing is impossible as long as you work hard.”

Photo: video caption

It was in Tokyo that he got to play against some of the world’s highest ranked table tennis players, who just couldn’t believe how well Ibrahim played. Truth be told, even after seeing him on video, I still can’t believe how good he is.

Here’s the sweetest part: “My best achievement in life is divided into two parts,” he said. “The best thing in my life is my wife who is everything to me. The second part is table tennis where I find my biggest success is being able to enjoy every point I win.”