by Ian Marshall, Editor
Kelly van Zon is the top seed in women’s singles class 7-8; Laurens Devos heads the list in men’s singles class 9.
Furthermore, they are not the only celebrated names on duty in the Al Hussein Sports City; in the women’s singles events, the names of Germany’s Sandra Mikolaschek, Norway’s Merethe Tveiten and Tukey’s Neslihan Kavas appear, as does that of the host nation’s Khetam Abuawad.
Silver medallist earlier this year at the Lignano Master Open, Sandra Mikolaschek is the leading name in class 1-4; Khetam Abuawad heads class 5, the category in which she was the runner up last year at the 2018 Asian Para Games.
An impressive entry, it is the same in the standing categories. Additional to Kelly van Zon; Norway’s Merethe Tveiten, gold medallist last year in Spain, is the top seed in class 6. Neslihan Kavas, the European class 9 champion on the most recent five occasions, having won for the first time in 2009, heads the class 9-10 list.
Similarly, in the men’s singles events, illustrious names appear on the entry list. Additional to Laurens Devos, Norway’s Tommy Urhaug, gold medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, is the class 5 top seed, a position held Austria’s Krisztian Gardos. At the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, he was a class 10 bronze medallist.
Meanwhile, Hungary’s Endre Major, last year the winner in the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia heads class 1-2; Jordan’s Osama Abu Jame is the top name in class 3, in class 4 the privilege belongs to Thailand’s Adyos Astan. In 2014, Osama Abu Jame was a silver medallist at the Asian Para Games, last year Adyos Astan struck gold at the Copa Tango in Buenos Aires.
Worthy competitors, in class 6-7 and class 8 it is no different. Crowned European champion in 2017, Jean-Paul Montanus of the Netherlands is the top name in class 6-7; Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri, silver medal winner earlier this year in Lignano, heads the class 8 order.
The individual events conclude on Tuesday 9th April.
2019 Para Al-Watani Championships: Draws and Results
