Noshad Alamiyan and Hu Melek capture first titles decided in Baku

by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

In what was in any international sphere a most unique occasion, Noshad Alamiyan accounted for younger brother Nima Alamian in one of the most closely contested engagements so far witnessed in the six day tournament; an event which is scheduled to close on Monday 22nd May.

He emerged successful by the very narrowest of margins in a full distance seven games duel (13-11, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 14-16, 11-9) that was not only a contest between two brothers, it was also an engagement between two players who had won Men’s Singles titles on the ITTF World Tour. Notably Noshad prevailed in Rabat in 2012, three years later in 2015 Nima emerged successful in the Belgian coastal resort of De Haan.

Victory by the minimal margin for Noshad Alamiyan; for Hu Melek life was less stressful with experience of competing on the global stage a major factor.

Quarter-finalist in the Women’s Singles event at the Liebherr 2013 World Championships in Paris and more recently crowned European champion last year in the Hungarian capital city of Budapest; at the final hurdle in Baku the 28 year old accounted for the host nation’s Ning Zhing to arrest the title.

Impressively, she emerged successful in four straight games (13-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-4).

Meanwhile, in the bronze medal contests; in the Men’s Singles event, Qatar’s Li Ping overcame Turkey’s Ahmed Li to secure the third step of the medal podium; in the counterpart Women’s Singles event, Azerbaijan’s Wang Miao beat Iran’s Neda Shahsavari (13-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7, 19-17).

The awards were presented by Khaled El-Salhy (President of the African Table Tennis Federation and Technical Delegate for the Games); Abduallah Al-Mulla (ITTF Representative) and Afshin Badiee (Development Officer for the Asian Table Tennis Union and Chair of the Jury at the Games).

Play in the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles events now concluded, attention as in the Olympic Games turns to the Men’s Team and Women’s Team events.

Noshad Alamiyan, Nima Alamian join forces with Iranian colleague Afshin Noroozi to form the top seeded Men’s outfit with Turkey’s Ahmet Li, Gencay Menge and Ibrahim Gündüz being the second seeds.

Meanwhile, in the Women’s Team event, represented by Hu Melek, Sumay Kulakceken and Oze Yilmez; Turkey forms the top seeded outfit; Azerbaijan’s Chen Xingtai, Ning Zhing and Wang Miao occupy the second seeded position.

Play in the Men’s Team and Women’s Team events commences on the late afternoon on Saturday 20th May.