MUSCAT: Bahrain Club defeated Egypt’s ENPPI 3-1 to clinch the men’s team title in the 2025 Arab Club Table Tennis Championships in Muscat on Thursday night. Egypt’s Petrojet claimed the women’s team title following their crucial victory over Egypt’s ENPPI 3-2 after a tight fixture that lasted for more than three hours.
Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad and Petrojet finished in third place in men's category. Kuwait’s Al Fataa and Iraq’s Al Kharaba Sporting Club claimed the third-place prize in women's section.
The Bahraini team players Mohammed Abbas, Rasid Sanad along with professional Croatian player Tomislav Pucar (World Ranking 32) broke the bad luck of reaching the finals for the three editions without a title in Muscat after they managed to emerge champions for the first time.
Pucar took the lead for Bahrain as he beat Mohammed Shoman 3-1. In the following clash, Egyptian professional player Antonie Hachard equalised as he beat Bahrain’s Mohammed Abbas by 3-1 before Rashid Sanad brought Bahrain back to the lead following his win against Ali Laab by 3-2 in a tight encounter. Pucar confirmed Bahrain’s victory after beating Hachard 3-0 in a crucial fixture.
LUCKY VENUE
“Sultanate of Oman is always bringing the luck to Bahraini teams. I remember I had emerged champions in an international tournament organised by the Oman Table Tennis Association in 2015 in Salalah. I am very glad to be part of the team in this edition as we are the champions of the Arab event after three finals with no title. This is a new title for me and it is coming after 10 years”, Hassan Abdulrahim, captain of the team, said.
“It was a tough final and the opponent was very focused but we managed to end the match for our side”, he ended.
Following the men’s team final, chief guest Sayyid Said bin Sultan al Busaidy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture, besides Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Sports and Youth, Khalil Ahmed al Mohannadi, President of the Arab Table Tennis Federation and Abdullah bin Mohammed Bamakhalaf, Chairman of Oman Table Tennis Association (OTTA), delivered the medals and trophies to the top three winners in both categories.
RECORD PARTICIPATION
OTTA chief Abdullah Bamkhalaf expressed his great delight at the successful conclusion of the 2025 Arab Clubs Table Tennis Championship in Muscat, praising the record-breaking participation in this edition. “The event witnessed the presence of 35 clubs as it was the largest number in the history of the Arab Clubs Championships. The strong response and cooperation from Arab clubs in making the championship a success and I am extending gratitude to the Arab Table Tennis Federation for their confidence in Oman, represented by the Oman Table Tennis Association, to host this prestigious edition in Muscat”, he added.
“This edition of the championship was exceptional, showcasing fierce competition among clubs. The technical regulations allowed each club to register one professional player, which significantly contributed to raising the technical level of the tournament”.
The OTTA chief concluded his statement by thanking the efforts of the OTTA members, referees, administrators, organisers and volunteers who played a vital role in delivering a successful tournament. “These accumulated experiences and capabilities of the organisers now will enable the OTTA to organise major international events, as Oman is preparing to host a major WTT star contender event in November”, he said.
The 2025 Arab Clubs Table Tennis Championship concluded on Thursday following five days of high level competition. In classification matches, Oman’s Ibri Club claimed a 3–2 victory over Morocco’s Wydad to secure a stronger position in the 17th–24th bracket, while Salalah Club suffered a 3–0 loss against Jordan’s Al Karak in their placement match.
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