“In our village, we could only play, at that time, table tennis and soccer — that’s why I played both,” Hamadto, who hails from Kafr Saad in northeastern Egypt, told CNN. “It was logic to play soccer first due to my case; then I played table tennis as a challenge.”

Starting at 13, Hamadto spent years working hard to perfect his game — initially he tried different options at gripping the bat, including holding it under his armpit, before deciding to handle it with his mouth.

“It was quite difficult playing table tennis after the accident,” Hamadto recalled. “I had to practice hard for three consecutive years on a daily basis. At the beginning, people were amazed and surprised seeing me playing. They encouraged and supported me a lot and they were very proud of my willing, perseverance and determination.”