WTT Star Contender Championship Kicks Off in Doha

Doha, September 20 (QNA) - The second edition of the World Table Tennis Championship (WTT Star Contender), organized by the Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) in cooperation with the World Table Tennis Association (WTT), kicked off Monday at Lusail Sports Hall. The tournament, which will continue till September 25, witness participation of 260 male and female players representing 34 countries, amid strict precautionary measures to limit the spread of the Corona virus (Covid-19) and preserve the safety of all participants. First day of the competitions witnessed 23 matches in the first preliminary round for men's and women's singles and men's doubles, in the morning and evening periods. Qatari player Ahmed Muthanna Al Awlaki, will face the Iranian Amir Hussein in the men's singles category Tuesday in order to qualify for the 64th round. On the other hand, Team Qatar women players were not able to achieve good results in the preliminary round of the women's singles, as Aya Magdy lost to France's Pritika Pavady 3-0, and with the same result, Mariam Ali lost to Slovenian Katrina Strazar, and Maha Flamerzi also bid farewell to the competitions lost to the Iranian Mahshid Ashtari 3-0, and Shawq Abdullah was unable to match the pace of the Indian Rith Tennyson, to lose to her 3-0, and with the same result, Maha Ali was defeated by her Iranian counterpart Malika Karmi. Aya Magdy, said that she was satisfied with the level she presented during her confrontation with Frenchwoman Pritika Pavady today at the start of the tournament. For her part, the French player Pauline Chassola expressed her happiness to participate in the International Table Tennis Championship, stressing that she is ready to compete and achieve positive results in the women's singles. (QNA)