The tournament, according to African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) serves as a qualification for the 2021 ITTF World Championship scheduled for November in Houston, United States.
Browsing: Quadri Aruna
The Nigerian who was ranked 123 before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games gained seven steps up the ladder to be rated 116 in the world, the third best African player in the world behind Egypt’s duo of Dina Meshref and Yousra Helmy who were ranked 37 and 101 respectively in the latest world rating.
Aruna, who is Africa’s top-ranked table tennis player, shared his concerns via his Instagram handle @quadriaruna on Friday.
Nigeria’s Aruna became the first African to reach the quarterfinal after his quarterfinal finish at Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
Being the highest-rated African in the world, Aruna has been seeded number 15 among the 65 players listed for the singles event at the Olympics which kicks off Friday in Tokyo.
ITTF’s Competition Director, Gabor Felegyi, announced Aruna’s qualification in a letter addressed to the President of Nigeria Olympic Committee and copied the President of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation.
Akanbi, whose inconsistency has dropped his national rating worked his way to the top of the men’s singles after edging out title contenders like Amadi Omeh and Azeez Solanke before finally ending the unbeaten run of Taiwo Mati in the final to emerge as the new national champion.
In an audio message by Aruna, the Oyo State-born athlete said the gesture was borne out of his desire to groom more top players like himself.
The deal was signed by the former President of the NTTF, Ishaku Tikon, while Florian Wehner signed on behalf of Gewo.
Listed among the 73 men competing at the WSQT and seeded number two behind England’s Liam Pitchford, Aruna on Sunday fell to Russian sensation Vladimir Sidorenko 4-2 (11-3, 11-13, 11-6, 9-11, 4-11, 7-11) to miss out from picking his ticket from WSQT.
Seventy-three men and 60 women will be aiming for the nine slots available at the four-day tournament, which hold from March 14 to 17.
He was knocked out on Wednesday.
It was a convincing 3-1 win over Japan’s Masataka Morizono by the Nigerian who remains the only African still in the race at the $400,000 prize money tournament.
Aruna, who was beaten 3-1 by Chinese Taipei’s Yun-Ju Lin in the quarterfinal, may likely square up against Japanese sensation Harimoto Tamakazu in the third round if he scales through from the second round.
Regarded as one of the best players in the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL), the management of TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell has been impressed with the Nigerian and in order to fend off offers from other teams, they decided to extend the contract of the African champion for another two seasons.
The two events, which have $600,000 as prize money, will take place at Lusail Sports Arena in Doha.
After losing three consecutive matches against Neu-Ulm, Schwalbe-Berneustadt and Ochsenhausen at home, TTC will host visiting Post SV Mühlhausen in the Wilmingtonhalle at home on January 3, 2021.
At a presentation held in Lagos on Tuesday, the Rio Olympic Games quarterfinalist gave support to Paralympians in their quest to make Nigeria proud at Tokyo 2021 Paralympics Games.
Aruna told the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone from his Portugal base that the Hungarian Open will serve as World Championships preparation in May in Germany
Quadri Aruna, Ojo Onaolapo, Olajide Omotayo and Bode Abiodun will participate in the competition, which serves off on January 17 and ends on January 22