Oyo-born table tennis star Quadri Aruna, has progressed to the next round at the 2025 ITTF World Cup, in Macao, China.
Quadri, the poster boy of table tennis in Nigeria, progressed alongside other stars from the continent, Dina Meshref and Hana Goda, who began brightly after securing impressive victories in their group stage matches
Egypt’s Meshref defeated Singapore’s Zhu Chengzhu with a 3-1 (11-9, 11-9, 11-5, 6-11) win, marking her 8th appearance at the World Cup while Goda, the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup champion, dominated local favorite Seak Hui Li, winning 4-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8) without breaking a sweat.
In a thrilling rematch of their ITTF African Cup encounter, Aruna defeated Benin’s Abdel-Kader Salifou 3-1 (11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8). Despite trailing in the second and fourth games, Aruna held his nerve to secure the win.
Reflecting on his performance, Aruna described the match against Benin’s Salifou as a tough match, expressing delight over his comeback.
“A first match in such events is always difficult, and I am happy that I managed to remain calm. Getting a 2-0 lead gave me some confidence.
“He did come back in the third and fourth games, but I managed to hold on for the win. I am really happy and satisfied with my performance,” he said.
Despite the defeat, Salifou commended Aruna on his victory, saying he will improve on his game.
“I had chances to get a draw and was leading 8-6 in the fourth game, but credit to Aruna for coming back well. I will keep trying my best and focus on the next match now,” he said.
But there were tough losses for other Africans in the tournament as three of the continent’s stars did not progress to the next round.
Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali faced a tough opponent in Chinese prodigy Huang Youzheng, losing 4-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-2, 11-8). The match featured the tournament’s first-ever Table Tennis Review (TTR), which upheld a foul call against El-Beiali.
Cameroon’s Ylane Batix also showcased his skills but ultimately fell 4-0 to South Korea’s An Jaehyun.
Despite a spirited performance, Egypt’s Mariam Alhodaby was defeated 4-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-7, 11-2) by Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem in an entertaining match that drew enthusiastic reactions from the crowd.
The tournament continues with over 96 players competing for the top prize, promising more exciting matches ahead.
