As the knockout phase of the World Parkinson’s Ping Pong Championships commenced in Lasko, Slovenia, Maltese players experienced a mix of successes and setbacks.
On a positive note, Anna Tabone secured a medal by reaching the semi-finals of the women’s doubles. Partnering with German player Anita Schultz, they triumphed over the Polish duo Ewa Kerntope and Iwona Salak with a score of 3-1.
In the men’s doubles, Adrian Casha teamed up with Slovenian Marjan Vitanc. Together, they achieved a hard-fought victory against Jurgen Zender and Maik Guhmann, winning 3-2, followed by a convincing 3-0 win over Hubert Rokhoten and Heiko Rauhmal from Germany. They will now compete in the semi-finals.
In the men’s individual category, Frans Barbara progressed to the quarter-finals after a close match against Slovenian David Vivod, which he won 3-2. However, Adrian Casha and Ralph Accarino faced defeats in their matches against Thorsten Wotrich (0-3) and Drazen Rent (1-3), respectively.
Barbara’s journey ended in the quarter-finals, where he was eliminated by Joachim Oetken of Germany, losing 3-0.
Lastly, in the mixed doubles event, Adrian Casha partnered with Anna Tabone but unfortunately lost their match against the German team of Reinhard Kaltenegger and Cornelia Solberg, with a score of 3-2.
