Bahrain Competes in 100th Table Tennis Championship

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s senior national table tennis team has arrived in London for the World Table Tennis Championships, the sport’s centenary edition returning to the British capital for the first time since 1926.

The tournament runs from today until 10 May and marks 100 years since the inaugural world championships. This year’s competition features 128 national teams across both men’s and women’s categories, with matches taking place at the OVO Arena in Wembley.

Bahrain’s squad comprises Rashid Khalid Sanad, Mohammed Abbas Abdulwahab, Salman Abu Hamda, Sayed Murtadha Hussain, and Mohammed Nader Al Ali.

Drawn into Group E, Bahrain faces a demanding preliminary stage against Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Spain. While the group presents a significant challenge, it also offers the team a valuable opportunity to test itself against established European opposition on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

The championships begin with a group stage, which is followed by a knockout phase. During the group stage, teams are divided into seeded and preliminary groups, where they compete in round-robin matches within their respective pools. From there, the top teams in the seeded groups advance directly to the knockout rounds, while the remaining spots are filled based on overall performance rankings. The competition then moves into the knockout stage, starting from the round of 32 and progressing all the way to the final, with each tie decided over a best-of-five series.

Bahrain’s delegation is led by Shaikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Table Tennis Association, alongside Vice President Ali Abdul Ali Al Madah and Secretary-General Jaafar Hadi. In addition to supporting the national team, the delegation will attend the International Table Tennis Federation General Assembly and World Table Tennis Council meetings, where key discussions on the sport’s future are expected.

Ahead of the tournament, the team completed a training camp in Serbia aimed at sharpening performance ahead of global competition. The squad, overseen by board member Salman Yousif, arrived in London yesterday to finalize preparations.