New Year resolutions, Dina Meshref looks ahead, ready for tough London challenge
01 Jan 2018
Winner at the 2017 ITTF-Africa Cup in the Moroccan city of Agadir and also the Women’s Singles winner at the ITTF Challenge Seamaster Nigeria Open in Lagos, Dina Meshref has established herself firmly as Africa’s leading lady.
She will lead Egypt at the forthcoming 2018 World Team Cup to be staged in London’s Copper Box Arena from Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th February.
Dina Meshref, setting new standards for Africa (Photo: courtesy of Table Tennis Canada)
by Olalekan Okusan, ITTF Africa, Press Officer
The task is to match the efforts of their male counterparts five years ago at the Times Property 2013 World Team Cup in Guangzhou, China when with Omar Assar, El-Sayed Lashin and Ahmed Ali Saleh, the principle protagonists, the bronze medal was secured.
Dina Meshref, a graduate of the America University of Cairo, as training resumed, gave her views on the London visit, an event in which erstwhile colleague, Nadeen El-Dawlatly, who is recovering from injury, will be absent.
“We have started national team training this week and I hope we can be all in good form by the end of February in order to be able to perform well at the World Team Cup in London. Many of the team members will also participate at the 2018 Hungary Open, which will be a good preparation for the event in February.
I thank God, 2017 has been a very successful year. I am very happy with everything achieved throughout 2017. I hope that in 2018, I will be able to further improve my World Ranking and become among the top 30 players in the world. I also hope to qualify to the World Cup this year and achieve something better there. I also hope to my team will progress to the Championship Division of the World Championships in Sweden.
I hope I can win the African Championship and I hope to win a medal or more in the next Mediterranean Games.
In London it will be very tough, if we get a good draw, I hope we can win a match and qualify for the main draw. I believe the Men’s Team can repeat their achievement in China one more time in London.
Without Nadeen El-Dawlatly, of course our team is missing an important member; however, the rest of the team is in very good shape and trying its best and working very hard to be in the best form in order to be able to perform very well in that important event.
We are all friends, and the team spirit matters a lot. I will try my best to keep the team spirit high this year in order to be able to attain the best possible results together.”
https://www.ittf.com/2018/01/01/ ... ready-london-visit/
