With grit and grace, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has kept Africa’s hopes alive at the 2025 ITTF World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
On a day when most African players bowed out on Day 3 of the global showpiece, Aruna pressed on with unrelenting determination, securing his spot in the third round of the Men’s Singles event.
Cheered on by the President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ITTF Africa), Wahid Enitan Oshodi, Aruna faced one of his toughest challenges yet at Qatar University against Norway’s Borgar Haug. Although the Norwegian ranks significantly lower than Aruna, the match proved that table tennis is not played on paper. The thrilling contest showcased high-level skills, with both players fighting for every point.
Aruna started strong, taking the first set 11-7, but Haug bounced back with a dominant 11-3 win in the second. The Nigerian reclaimed the lead with an 11-8 win in the third set, only for Haug to level the match again by taking the fourth 11-8.
Both players displayed a variety of techniques throughout the match, but Aruna gained a crucial edge through his powerful serves, which Haug often struggled to return. The Nigerian regained control with an 11-7 win in the fifth set.
The sixth set turned out to be the climax of the match. Aruna led 9-7, but Haug responded with two sharp points to tie it at 9-9. Aruna moved ahead to 10-9, needing one more point to seal the match, but the Norwegian equalized once more at 10-10. With composure and experience, Aruna won the next two points, clinching the set 12-10 and the match 4-2, becoming the only remaining African male player in the Men’s Singles event.
At the adjacent table, Egypt’s Omar Assar narrowly lost to Portugal’s Marcos Freitas in a tight 4-3 battle (11-6, 8-11, 12-10, 3-11, 8-11, 11-8, 10-12), bowing out in the second round.
Meanwhile, the fairytale run of Madagascar’s Hanitra Raharimanana ended in the second round of the Women’s Singles. The 22-year-old was defeated 4-0 (11-2, 11-8, 11-2, 11-4) by Germany’s Sabine Winter.
In the Mixed Doubles, Africa experienced mixed fortunes. Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo and Kabirat Ayoola were eliminated in the second round by South Korean opponents. However, Egypt’s Youssef Abdelaziz and Mariam Alhodaby advanced to the third round with an impressive 3-1 win over their Italian counterparts.
Aruna will face a familiar opponent, Benedikt Duda of Germany, in the third round as he continues his inspiring run in Doha.
Source: Olalekan Okusan, ITTF Africa