( CNN ) -- It 's Ibrahim Hamadto 's turn to serve . Holding the bat in his mouth , the Egyptian para-table tennis champion gets the rally going by flicking the ball up high with his right foot . Sinking through the air , the delicate white sphere meets his racket and comes out charging like a bullet with a powerful spin . Hamadto , 41 , is armless . He lost both his upper limbs in a train accident when he was just 10 years old . But the terrible misfortune did n't stop him from pushing himself to follow his dreams . `` 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 . '' People were also very proud of his athletic achievements . Hamadto , who is married and a father of three , has won several honors over the years , including the silver medal in the African Para-Table Tennis Championships last year . Earlier this month , the Egyptian champion demonstrated his skills at the World Team Table Tennis Championships , held in Tokyo , Japan , where he was the guest of honor and played against some of the sport 's biggest names . `` Ibrahim is a very nice man with faith and perseverance , '' said Alaa Meshref , the president of Egyptian Table Tennis Federation . `` He is very polite and modest . Although his circumstances , both financially and physically , are not that easy going , he never asked for anything , '' he added , going on to describe Hamadto as a role model for every young person . `` People without disabilities should learn more from him , as they always find excuses for minimal nuisances . They need to understand how he was able to conquer his tragedy and prove that insisting on your goal is always achievable . '' Indeed , watching Hamadto playing , seeing the artistry in his game as he defends with panache and attacks with vigor , it 's hard to disagree . `` I believe that nothing is impossible , as long as you work hard , '' said Hamadto . `` This is the message I would like to send to people . '' Read more : Kenya 's cycling hero . Read more : Tanzania 's forgotten track star .
Ibrahim Hamadto is an Egyptian para-table tennis champion . The first time I met Ibrahim, he was in the middle of a match with his coach, who had just given him some advice. Last year , he won the silver medal at the African Para-Table Tennis Championships . He says : 'Nothing is impossible , as long as you work hard ''