Paddlers Bow Out of Games

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s remaining table tennis players bowed out of the Asian Games yesterday following defeats in the men’s singles and doubles at Sky Hall Toyota.

Mohamed Saleh and Rashid Sanad both saw their singles runs end in the round of 32, while the kingdom’s two doubles pairings were also eliminated at the same stage.

Saleh went down 4-0 to South Korea’s Jang Woojin, who prevailed 11-4, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8.

Sanad was also beaten in straight games, falling 11-4, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 to Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-ju.

Doubles Exit

Earlier in the day, Mohammed Alaali and Sayed Mahfoodh were denied a place in the men’s doubles last 16 by Singapore’s Chew Zhe Yu and Josh Chua.

The Bahraini pair pushed their opponents hard in the opening game before losing it 15-13, with the Singaporeans taking the next two 11-3, 11-3 to complete a 3-0 victory.

Saleh and Sanad suffered the same fate against Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Hsien-chia and Hung Jing-kai.

They narrowly lost the opener 14-12 and threatened to extend the contest in the third, but their opponents took the second 11-4 before edging the final game 13-11 to seal a straight-games victory.

Winning Starts

All four Bahrainis had entered yesterday’s action on the back of victories in their respective opening matches.

Saleh defeated Bangladesh’s Ramhimlian Bawm 4-1 in the singles, while Sanad swept Pakistan’s Taha Bilal 4-0.

Alaali and Mahfoodh had also begun their doubles campaign with a 3-0 victory over Pakistan’s Taha Bilal and Abdal Muhammad Khan, while Saleh and Sanad defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Abai and Atai Kasymov by the same scoreline.

Those results concluded Bahrain’s table tennis challenge. The sport continues at the Games until Monday, but there will be no further representation from the kingdom.