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By Johnny Edward.
Nigeria’s top ranked table tennis player, Aruna Quadri, has received plaudits from the Executive Council of the Africa Table Tennis Federation following his quarter-final finish at the just-concluded WTT Singapore Smash, The PUNCH reports.
Quadri became the first African to reach the quarter-final round of the WTT Singapore Smash after edging out some of the finest players in the world on his way to the last eight.
The 33-year-old recorded wins over Ruwen Filus from Germany, French teenage star, Alexis Lebrun and Tomokazu Harimoto from Japan, but suffered a crushing defeat to Brazil’s Hugo Calderano in the quarter-final.
President of ATTF, Khaled El-Salhy, said Quadri had continued to set the pace for the sport in Africa with his record feat at the Olympic Games, World Championships and WTT Cup Finals in recent times.
“Congratulations for your fantastic show-up in Singapore especially for the great win in the round of 16 against Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto to qualify for the quarter final.
“I would like to pass to you my full appreciation on behalf of the ATTF Executive Council as the main ambassador of African table tennis in ITTF super events. We wish you to continue to make the continent proud and a great ambassador of your country and Africa,” he said.
Quadri’s performance in Singapore earned him 350 ranking points and this will boost his rating when the new ranking is released by International Table Tennis Federation next month.
Meanwhile, Quadri has been listed among the world elite table tennis stars that will compete at the $800,000 prize money WTT Champions Xinxiang in China next month.
