Name a player in form, the player who caused the biggest upset of the year to date; the vote goes to Iraq’s Najlah Imad Lafta Al-Dayyeni, the 20-year-old heads the field at the forthcoming ITTF Al-Watani Para Championships 2024.
A factor 20 tournament for World ranking points, the three-day tournament starts in the Jordanian capital city of Amman on Saturday 20th April.
Earlier in the year in January, Al-Dayyeni won women’s singles class 6 in Giza at the Egypt Para Open; that was a feat in itself; the even greater feat was the player she beat in the final, Ukraine’s Maryna Lytovchenko, the reigning Paralympic Games, World and European champion.
In Amman, Al-Dayyeni defends the title won last year in June. Likewise, three further players aim for repeat success.
India’s Baby Sahana Ravi, the women’s singles class 9-10 winner, and Iran’s Naser Dehghanpour, successful in men’s singles class 9 will be once again duty, as will the host nation’s Faten El-Elimat, gold medallist in the women’s singles class 4-5.
Local eyes focused on Faten El-Elimat; in the counterpart men’s singles, the Jordanian name to note is Osama Abu Jame, at the 2022 Al-Watani Championships he prevailed in class 8-9.
Similarly successful two years ago when he won class 8-9, Malaysia’s Chee Chaoming returns.
Major contenders for honours, more can be added to the list.
Also from Malaysia, Gloria Wong Sze competes as from Sri Lanka does Dinesh Pitiysage; last year both struck gold; Wong Sze won in the United States, Pitiyage in Egypt.
A total of 42 men and 15 women are scheduled to ply their skills; the men’s singles and women’s singles events commence the schedule.
