Host England beating Nigeria 3-0 yesterday in the bronze medal match of the men’s team event of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham even as India defended their title with a 3-1 victory over Singapore.
Against Nigeria, the English team were more determined to win the match to pacify their fans following Monday’s semi-final loss to Singapore and they started well in the doubles when Paul Drinkhall partnered Tom Jarvis to beat Bode Abiodun and Olajide Omotayo 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-7).
Quadri Aruna was set in the first singles match against Liam Pitchford and several unforced errors by Aruna made the encounter go the way of the English man who knew that the win against the tournament’s best player had put them in vantage position for the bronze medal.
Aruna and Pitchford both started well to the admiration of the English fans but it was the home boy that claimed the victory at 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 11-6) to give England a 2-0 lead.
In the second singles match, Omotayo faced Drinkhall, it was the much-experienced Drinkhall that dominated the game to end the tie at 3-0 (11-4, 11-2, 11-4).
The victory gave England the same colour of medal they won at the 2018 edition in Gold Coast, Australia but Nigeria will be leaving the stage without a medal in the team event for the first time in the last three editions having won bronze and silver medals at Glasgow 2018 and Gold Coast 2018 respectively.
Meanwhile, All eyes will be on Quadri Aruna when the singles event of table tennis begin today as 2022 Commonwealth Games continues in Birmingham.
Being the highest ranked player in the competition rated 12 in the world as well as a silver medalist at the 2018 Gold Coast in Australia, Aruna will be the target of every player especially players from India, England, and Singapore.
Despite losing twice in the team event, Aruna is still favoured to top the singles event and trying to stop the Nigerian is England’s Liam Pitchford (ENG), who along with India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran are in competition mode after recently appearing at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Champions European Summer Series in Hungary.
“I think with the present form of Aruna, he will be the player to beat in the singles because he is in superb form and we are all looking forward to the singles event,” Indian legend Sharath Achanta noted.“ It promises to be exciting.”