by Ian Marshall
An International Referee, Bechir Metoui was a familiar figure at tournaments in Africa and the Middle East, notably on duty in 2018 when the Arab Championships were staged in Tunis.
More recently he officiated at the first ever WTT Youth Star Contender tournament, staged in Tunis earlier this year from Wednesday 26th to Sunday 30th May.
Major personalities from the region, in which Bechir Metoui contributed so much, were quick to pay their respects, none more so than Khaled El-Salhy, the President of the African Table Tennis Federation.
“The first time I met Bechir was in 1991 during the fifth All African Games in Cairo. I found him a very honest man with a smiling face, a model of an ideal match official who can run any event smoothly without any problem. We worked together in many African events in the past 30 years. He became one of the authorized International Referees in Africa. Always, he maintained the same smiling face, solving any problems in a quiet and sympathetic manner. I pray for his soul to rest in peace; my deepest condolences to his dear family.” Khaled El-Salhy, President, African Table Tennis Federation
A special place in the memory for Khaled El-Salhy, the 1991 All African Games and Bechir Metoui also remains strong in the memory of Dr Alaa Meshref, ITTF Executive Vice President, who at the time was partnering his future wife, Shereen El-Alfy in the mixed doubles.
“He was for us an umpire who officiated for two generations of the family. He officiated for Shereen and myself at the African and Arab Championships, later for Dina and Ahmed Meshref at a Tunisia World Junior Circuit tournament, as well as at other Arab and African events for Dina. He was always a “problem solver” without any tough actions or measures, a calm attitude and smiling face. I hope his soul rests in peace the same way he was peaceful even in tough situations.” Dr Alaa Meshref
Bechir Metoui is a loss to the whole table tennis world, especially to Tunisia, under the leadership of Lotfi Guerfel, a most forward looking member association.
“It was a very sad moment when our General Secretary called me at 8.00 am on 17th August to announce that Mr Bechir Metoui had passed away. The last time I saw him was on 10th August, he was in charge of a tournament for under 11 players to choose who will take part in the future WTT Youth contender in Tunisia from 13th to 19th September 2021. Mr Bechir Metoui was already appointed as a Referee for this event.
The first time I met Mr Bechir Metoui was in 1980, when I was a player at the age of 11 years, playing individual events in Tunisia, the El Menzah venue, I hold a memory of a very rigorous, serious and professional umpire.
Later, in the federation, Mr Bechir Metoui was the key person for all issues related to referees and umpires; he was in charge of officiating at major events in Tunisia. Also, he was in charge for courses for new umpires, he was in charge of guiding training sessions for umpires and referees, he gave great support when planning the competitions’ calendar, he prepared umpires for competitions, he choose the right umpire for difficult matches.
We have lost not only one of the key persons in Tunisia but also in Arab, African and World table tennis. We pray for his soul to rest in peace, our deepest condolences to his family and the all table tennis family.” Lotfi Guerfel
A loss to the table tennis, Bechir Metoui is sadly missed; the International Table Tennis Federation extends condolences to his family.