Algeria on the final day of the table tennis event at the 13th African Games halted Egypt’s winning streak to clinch the gold medal in the men’s doubles at Accra International Conference Centre in Ghana.
Being the final day of the seven-day table tennis event, Egypt has mopped up all the gold medals at stake after claiming singles (men and women), teams (men and women), mixed doubles as well as women’s doubles.
It took the ingenuity of Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa and Stephane Ouaiche to edge out the Egyptian duo of Khalid Assar and Mohamed Shouman in the final of the men’s doubles.
As if they were going to complete their streak, Assar and Shouman took an early lead with 11-9 win in the first game but Bouloussa and Ouaiche were not ready to leave Accra without fighting for the gold medal and they did this in style dominating the second and third game that ended in their favour at 11-6, 11-9. But the Egyptians extended the game after claiming 11-7 win in the fourth game to put the tie at 2-2.
In the deciding game, the Algerians came to the party and they were rewarded accordingly with 11-7 win to throw the venue into wild jubilation for the Aglerian team.
However, Nigeria and Tunisia settled for bronze medals in the doubles event but again the Egyptians claimed the overall medals with six gold medals, while Algeria won one gold medal while Nigeria settled for third with three silver medals.
For Bouloussa, winning the gold medal in the final match of the competition was very important. “I think this is the most important match for us being the last match of the competition and winning the gold medal for Algeria was very significant. I am so happy and excited that we were able to do it on the final day,” the African Games debutant said.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian twins – Mariam and Marwa Alhodaby emerged as the women’s doubles champions after beating their Tunsian counterparts – Fadwa Garci and Abir Haj Salah 3-1 in the final held at the Accra International Conference Centre in Ghana.
Having finished third at the 2022 African Championships as doubles partners, the Alhodaby twins claimed their first senior title as doubles partners with a flawless passage to the final.
Marwa described the victory as amazing, “We have been playing doubles events together from cadet, junior and U-21 levels with several medals but this one is special, particularly winning at such a big stage as the African Games,” she said.