Four Nigerian players, including Portugal-based Aruna Quadri and Edem Offiong, will begin their campaigns on Wednesday at the International Table Tennis Federation-sanctioned World Tour, tagged Spanish Open.
It is the fourth ITTF World Tour for Quadri, while Offiong is making her first appearance in the tournament as part of her build up to this month’s World Championship in Japan.
Other Nigerian players taking part in the five-day championship include Kazeem Makanjuola and Ganiyat Olatunde-Aruna.
In the draw released by the organisers on Tuesday, Quadri has been drawn in Group 10 of the preliminary round alongside Spain’s Carlos Franco and Jersey’s Joshua Band, while Offiong has been pitched against Russia’s Yulia Prokhova and England’s Hannah Kicks in Group seven of the women’s singles.
Makanjuola, who is yet to win a match at some of the tours attended so far will tackle Spain’s Alfredo Carneros and Venezuela’s Nelson Villanueva in Group 13 of the men’s singles event.
Olatunde-Aruna, who is making her second appearance in the ITTF World Tour, will confront India’s Shanim Kunaresan, Bulgaria’s Kutsiaryna and Spain’s Elena Lopez for a place in the main draw of the women’s singles.
Aside the singles event, the players will also compete in the preliminary stage of the doubles event on Thursday.
Quadri’s first group match will be against Jersey’s Band on table one on Wednesday, while Makanjuola will also be in action against Venezuela’s Villanueva on table three.
Quadri and Makanjuola will play their last group match on Thursday to know their fate in the singles event before turning to the doubles event.
Quadri, who arrived Almeria city, venue of the competition on Monday, said he was sure of making to the main draw having narrowly missed out from playing in the last 64 at the Kuwait, Qatar and German Opens.
“I think I need to raise my game in Spain because my Spanish opponent is a familiar foes I played against during the European Table Tennis Union Championship recently. I won 3-2 and I hope to repeat same feat in Spain on Wednesday,” Quadri said.
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