Egyptian table tennis prodigy Hana Goda has spoken out following her narrow 4-3 defeat to the world’s top-ranked player, China’s Sun Yingsha, in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Reflecting on the match via her official Facebook account, the 18-year-old shared her mixed emotions: “I really wanted to win… It was God’s will, and I am grateful. A loss against the world’s number one.”
Despite the exit, Goda received a high-level phone call from Gohar Nabil, Minister of Youth and Sports, who praised her historic trajectory.
The Minister lauded her as the first Egyptian, Arab, and African woman to reach this stage of the World Cup. He specifically commended her courage in facing the Olympic champion in front of 30,000 Chinese spectators, describing her performance as “heroic.”
Minister Gohar reaffirmed the state’s full support for Goda, concluding the call by stating that the Egyptian public now looks forward to seeing her secure an Olympic medal in the near future.
Main image source: Hana Goda’s official Facebook page.
