Zeina Shaban

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Princess Zeina Rashid
Personal information
NationalityJordanian
Born (1988-05-12) 12 May 1988 (age 37)
Amman, Jordan
Sport
SportTable tennis
Playing styleRight-handed, shakehand grip
EquipmentTibhar
Highest ranking278 (As of December 2008)

Princess Zeina Rashid (Arabic: الأميرة زينة راشد; born Zeina Shaban, 12 May 1988) is a former olympic Jordanian table tennis player[1] and is a member of the Jordanian royal family. She is considered one of Jordan's most promising athletes for her excellence and outstanding achievement in sport. She competed at the ITTF World Junior Cup circuit and Liebherr World Championships, and achieved her sporting success by winning two silver medals from the Arab Cup. Shaban was also given an opportunity to qualify for two Olympic games by obtaining a scholarship from the Olympic Solidarity Fund. Shaban is right-handed and uses the shakehand grip with an attacking chopper. As of December 2008, she is ranked no. 278 in the world by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

In addition to her sporting career, she is active as a sports leader, serving on the Governing Board of the ITTF Foundation and in other administrative roles,[2] and is also a painter, creating works in oil and leading the Art for Good initiative to link art with community development.[3]

In 2011, she married Prince Rashid bin Hassan, after which she became known as Princess Zeina Rashid.[4] The couple has two sons.

Early life and education

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Princess Zeina was educated at the Amman Baccalaureate School. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Royal Holloway, University of London, graduating in 2009.[5] She then completed a Master of Science degree in Environment and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2012.[6]


Athletic career

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Born in Amman, Jordan, Princess Zeina was introduced to table tennis at the age of six, where she occasionally played with her father. In 1996, she headed with her family to watch the Summer Olympic games in Atlanta, Georgia. Princess Zeina rapidly changed her life, when she first met Chinese table tennis player and then-world champion Deng Yaping, who motivated her to play for the sport.[7]

Following her training in China and even in Europe, Princess Zeina achieved an early success in table tennis, when she claimed the title for the under-14 category at the national junior championships. At the age of ten, she made her inaugural international appearance at the U.S. Open Table Tennis Tournament in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she displayed her exquisite talent and performance to obtain the tournament title in the women's under-10 category.[7][8] She continued to build her success in sport by participating as the nation's leading player at the ITTF World Junior Circuit, ITTF Pro Tour and at both the Liebherr World Individual Championships and World Team Championships. She also won two silver medals at the Arab Cup in Sanaa, Yemen (2003) and in Beirut, Lebanon (2004).[9]

In 2003, Princess Zeina became a seasoned veteran, and was named Jordan's athlete of the year.[7] She also became one of the most distinguished and promising athletes to be selected for an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship, which helped improve her chances to qualify for the Olympic games.[8]

At age sixteen, Princess Zeina made her debut for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, after booking her place from the West Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in Doha, Qatar. She reached the second preliminary match of the women's singles, where she lost to three-time Olympian Adriana Simion-Zamfir of Romania. Shortly after the Olympics, she was awarded the prestigious King Hussein Medal for Achievement by His Majesty King Abdullah II, for her full participation to the games and vast display of sportsmanship and national pride.[7]

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Princess Zeina was given the honor and prestige of carrying the nation's flag in the opening ceremony.[10][11] She competed for the second time in the women's singles tournament, where she lost her first match to Czech Republic's Dana Hadačová, with a set score of 0–4.[12]

Princess Zeina is a member of TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen and 3B Berlin Table Tennis Club in Germany, being coached and trained by Swedish national Anders Johansson.[9]

Sports Governance and Leadership

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In August 2020, Princess Zeina Rashid was appointed to the Governing Board of the ITTF Foundation, the humanitarian arm of the International Table Tennis Federation, where she has contributed to global projects using table tennis for social development.[13] She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Jordan Olympic Committee,[14] and serves as Vice President of the Jordan Taekwondo Federation.[15]

She has been involved in the Jordan Olympic Committee’s “20 for Tokyo 2020” programme, an initiative aimed at helping 20 Jordanian athletes qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games.[16] Through her role at the ITTF Foundation, she has supported initiatives such as TT4Health and the Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships. The latter was recognised at the 2022 Sports Business Awards.[17]

Artistic career

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In addition to her sporting career, Princess Zeina Rashid is active as a visual artist. She works primarily in oil, producing portraits, landscapes, and large-scale abstractions inspired by her region, often incorporating motifs such as olive trees and the textures of Jordan's terrain.[18] In 2024, she established the Art for Good Initiative, which raises funds through donations, collaborations, and commissions to support struggling communities, with a focus on relief and youth empowerment.[19]

Honours and recognition

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Princess Zeina Rashid has been recognised for her leadership and contributions to sport and society through a number of awards and appointments:

  • In 2001 she was named Jordan’s top junior sportsperson by the Jordan Olympic Committee.[20]
  • In August 2020 she was appointed to the **Governing Board of the ITTF Foundation**, the humanitarian arm of the International Table Tennis Federation.[21]
  • She serves as a **member of the Board of Directors of the Jordan Olympic Committee** and as **Vice President of the Jordan Taekwondo Federation**.[22]
  • In 2022, the ITTF Foundation, under her Governing Board role, received a **Sports Business Award** for its Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships project, recognising its contribution to health and inclusion.[23]

Personal life

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Jordanian royal family
List
Extended royal family
Noor and others
Queen Noor
Haya and others
Muna and others
Princess Muna
Alia
Firyal and others
Hassan and others
Basma
Nayef and others

Shaban is also a management graduate, with a degree major in economics, at the Royal Holloway, University of London.[24] On July 22, 2011, she married Prince Rashid bin Hassan at the Basman Palace in Amman.[citation needed] She has given birth to two sons, Prince Hassan and Prince Talal since her marriage.[25]

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Zeina Shaban". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  2. ^ "Princess Zeina Rashid of Jordan joins as new Governing Board member". ITTF Foundation. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  3. ^ "About Princess Zeina Rashid – Art and Initiatives". Princess Zeina Official Website. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Statement from the Royal Hashemite Court". The Royal Hashemite Court. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  5. ^ "HRH Princess Zeina". El Hassan Bin Talal Official Website. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  6. ^ "HRH Princess Zeina". El Hassan Bin Talal Official Website. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d "Young Shaban brings experience to the table". Sportsbeat UK. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  8. ^ a b Andersson, Mikael (4 April 2003). "In the shadows of the war!". ITTF. Retrieved 18 December 2012.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ a b Marshall, Ian. "Young Pretender". ITTF. Retrieved 18 December 2012.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ Marshall, Ian (20 October 2010). "Five Rings in Athens and Beijing but Just One for Zeina Shaban in Jordan". ITTF. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  11. ^ "Jordan to have a female flag bearer for Beijing Olympics". Xinhua. 2 August 2008. Archived from the original on August 11, 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Women's Singles First Round". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  13. ^ "Princess Zeina Rashid of Jordan joins as new Governing Board member". ITTF Foundation. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  14. ^ "Princess Zeina Rashid of Jordan joins as new Governing Board member". ITTF Foundation. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  15. ^ "About Princess Zeina Rashid". Princess Zeina Official Website. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  16. ^ "Princess Zeina Rashid of Jordan joins as new Governing Board member". ITTF Foundation. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  17. ^ "ITTF Foundation wins Sports Business Award for Parkinson's World Championships". ITTF Foundation. 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  18. ^ "About Princess Zeina Rashid – Art". Princess Zeina Official Website. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  19. ^ "About Princess Zeina Rashid – Art for Good Initiative". Princess Zeina Official Website. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  20. ^ "HRH Princess Zeina". El Hassan Bin Talal Official Website. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  21. ^ "Princess Zeina Rashid of Jordan joins as new Governing Board member". ITTF Foundation. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  22. ^ "About Princess Zeina Rashid". Princess Zeina Official Website. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  23. ^ "ITTF Foundation wins Sports Business Award for Parkinson's World Championships". ITTF Foundation. 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  24. ^ "Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls gear up for Beijing". Royal Holloway College. 21 July 2008. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  25. ^ "Prince Rashed, Princess Zeina welcome baby boy" Archived 2017-12-26 at the Wayback Machine Petra News Agency, 2 February 2016.
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