Currently eyes are very much focused on the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro but very soon we will be looking a further four years ahead.
On Saturday 7th September 2013, at the 125th Session of the International Olympic Committee in Buenos Aires, Tokyo won their bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Announcement
At the meeting, Shinzo Abe, Japan's Prime Minister outlined the Sport for Tomorrow Programme; one of the role models for the initiative is Ibrahim Hamadtou.
Now recognised globally, the quite incredible Egyptian plays table tennis by grasping the racket in his mouth, having endured a terrible injury when ten years old which resulted in the loss of both arms.
Perfect 2016 World Team Championships
At the recent Perfect 2016 World Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur, prior to the Women𠏋 final on Sunday 6th March, he played Japan𠏋 Miu Hirano.
Later local school children lined up to play against the man who wears a sports shoe on his left foot but not on his right where he is barefoot, the reason is that it is by using his right foot that he flicks to ball up to serve.
Appropriate Selection
The selection of Ibrahim Hamadtou, as an icon for the Sport for Tomorrow Programme, underlines the ethos of the campaign.
Sport for Tomorrow is an initiative to promote sport to more than 10 million people in 100 nations in the six year period leading up to 2020. The goal is to spread values learned through sports and increase awareness of the Olympic and Paralympic movement to people of all generations worldwide.
Shot to Fame
Surely there could be no better an example than Ibrahim Hamadtou who since he appeared at the ZEN-NOH 2014 World Team Championships in Tokyo has shot to fame; his exploits have been broadcast worldwide.
