One of the most important memories
that I will never forget
was when one of my friends told me
to stick to something you could do.
That remark was the spark that generated inside of me...
the will and determination.
I wanted to prove to him that I could practice a sport
But I never imagined I would be a world table tennis champion.
My name is Ibrahim Hamadtou. I play table tennis
for the Egyptian national team.
I’m from Egypt, from Damietta.
From the village of Kafr Saad El-Balad.
I learned table tennis here in the local youth center.
All my friends are from here, too.
Get rid of the cigarette, Ahmed.
You can't smoke around an athlete.
And I'm still very close to my family.
This village means a lot to me, as it's where I grew up
and where I was born, and God willing,
I will die here, too.
I was working as a carpenter in Damietta.
So, I would take the train to Damietta every morning
and come back in the evening. But on that day...
I got on the train, and on the second stop,
right after this stop, in my village...
I was standing by the door...
and I fell in the gap between the train and the pavement.
When I woke up from the coma,
I found that both my arms were amputated.
After I got discharged from the hospital
I didn't leave the house for a whole year,
except for very late at night.
I didn't like to see the looks of pity
and sympathy on people's faces.
That first year was really difficult for me.
I didn't play any sports before the accident.
After the accident, I tried to play soccer
and I used to run around with my friends,
but I frequently got injured, because I had no balance.
But when I visited the youth center...
table tennis caught my eye.
The first thing I tried was to hold the paddle
under my armpits, but I failed.
I tried this once, then twice and then the third time
I placed the paddle in my mouth...
and I held the paddle
between my teeth for a few moments.
And then I thought, "Why don't I try playing with my mouth?"
The next day I was at the youth center at 7:00 a.m.
And that's where it all began.
I've been playing table tennis since 1986,
but I started playing at world stage in 2015.
I got a personal invitation
to play an exhibition match with world champions.
And that video kick-started Ibrahim's career.
I was the most famous table tennis player
because of that video posted on the ITTF's website.
When people see me holding the paddle and moving around
sometimes, they try to imitate me, thinking that it's easy.
It's not easy at all.
Everything in my body moves with me.
I need to strengthen my legs constantly,
because I rely on my legs more than any other player.
My neck also needs to be strengthened constantly.
The same goes for my teeth.
The paddle should not move at all between my teeth,
because if it does then I lose everything.
I can spend an entire day practicing the serve
so that I can perfect it.
I have to win points as quickly as possible
before it wears me out.
It's extremely difficult, but,
because we love the game, we try to stick to it.
Come on, Hima. Receive a ball and strike it.
Receive it and strike it back.
Coach, we're playing one-on-one.
One here, one there.
Go ahead. Good.
Yes, that's it. Great.
Good job.
Nice going.
The paddle needs a wipe.
After Egypt's international competition,
there's the African championship,
the qualifier for Tokyo 2020.
God willing, I'll earn a gold medal and qualify for Tokyo.
I keep telling myself, "Tokyo is the goal."
During these tournaments,
there's love and camaraderie between most players.
It's an honorable competition
when we're at the table, but outside the winner
and loser walk out as brothers and friends.
The ambience is beautiful in any international championship.
Maybe the ball will bounce back.
He can't serve and strike after.
Your ball's difficult.
Okay, when I strike...
if it's too difficult, I don't strike it.
When I’m standing at the table,
I probably forget everything.
I feel that I'm having a conversation with the ball
and it listens to what I say.
I really feel like a king when I'm at the table.
It will be a miracle for Ibrahim Hamadtou
to qualify for two Olympic championships
in a row,
and this can be a good end to my sports career.
May God help me make this country proud.