NIGERIAN table tennis sensation, Quadri Aruna, has retained his title in the men’s singles of the 2023 ITTF African Championships after beating Ahmed Saleh of Egypt in the final match played on Sunday.
Aruna, the tournament’s number one seed, overwhelmed Saleh with a convincing 4-0 win to hold on to last year’s title won in Algeria.
But there were mixed feelings for Aruna in Tunis, having missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games ticket through injury at the same venue.
“I am happy with the title because I have a good and bad memory of Tunis, having got injured here during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualification. Winning another title here is good to erase the bad memory. This win will remain with me for a long time. I am happy and I look forward to the next challenge,” the Nigerian said.
In the female category, Egyptian teenage sensation, Hana Goda, dethroned her compatriot, Dina Meshref, to claim the women’s singles title.
Two-time Africa Cup champion Goda was also at her best against defending champion, Meshref, with another inspiring 4-1 win in the final encounter in the women’s singles.
An excited 15-year-old Goda described the victory as “special”.
“This is special, especially with the support from the Tunisian fans. I will cherish this for a long time to come,” she said.
