The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ITTF World Championships

  • ITTF World Championships: Nigeria draw ‘old enemy’ South Africa, Saudi, Hong Kong

    ITTF World Championships: Nigeria draw ‘old enemy’ South Africa, Saudi, Hong Kong

    Nigeria has been drawn alongside Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa in Group 15 of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals, set to take place in London between April 28  and May 10.

    The draw, held  at The Shard, marked the beginning of a historic celebration of 100 years of the World Championships.

     “From London to London, we have come full circle,” ITTF President Petra Sörling said yesterday. “England has hosted the World Championships on seven occasions, but returning to where it all began makes this centenary edition truly special. This event is already historic, but I am confident it will also be unforgettable.”

    The Quadri Aruna-led men’s team will face tough opposition from Asian giants Hong Kong, who boast some of the finest young players in the world, as well as Middle Eastern powerhouse Saudi Arabia and continental rivals South Africa.

    In the women’s category, Fatimo Bello will captain Nigeria in Group 11, where they will battle against Australia, Uzbekistan, and Wales.

    African champions Egypt, led by Omar Assar, received a favourable draw in the men’s event, facing Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Thailand.

    Read Also: W’Cup 2026: NFF begs Tinubu, Nigerians over  Super Eagles’ setback

    Rising star Hana Goda will lead Egypt’s women’s team against Algeria, South Africa, and Syria.

    Reigning champions China, winners of the last 11 editions, headline Group 1 alongside host nation England, five-time winners Sweden, and Korea Republic. France, silver medallists at the last edition, will face Japan, Germany, and Chinese Taipei in Group 2 as they bid to lift the Swaythling Cup for the first time.

    In the women’s competition, hosts England were drawn in Group 2 with Japan, Germany, and France, while China, 23-time Corbillon Cup winners, lead Group 1 against Korea Republic, Chinese Taipei, and Romania.

    The draw ceremony was attended by ITTF President and IOC Member Petra Sörling, ITTF Executive Vice President Beatrice Romanescu, World Table Tennis CEO Steve Dainton, Chair of Table Tennis International Events Richard Scruton, Table Tennis England Chair Clare Briegal MBE, Table Tennis England President and World Championship medallist Jill Parker MBE, England men’s athlete and three-time Olympian Paul Drinkhall, ITTF Nominations Committee Chair Sandra Deaton, and UK Sport Deputy Director Esther Britten MBE.

    The top eight seeds in each competition will contest Stage 1a at OVO Arena Wembley from May 2–3, with all teams progressing to Stage 2. Group performances will determine seeding for the knockout rounds. Stage 1b will take place at the Copper Box Arena from April 28–May 1, where 56 teams in each competition will battle for the remaining 24 places in the Main Draw.

    London 2026 marks 100 years since the first World Championships were held in the city in 1926, making this the most significant edition in the event’s history.

  • African table tennis stars set for ITTF World Championships in Doha

    African table tennis stars set for ITTF World Championships in Doha

    As the 2025 ITTF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, approach, African stars are set to make their mark from May 16 to 25, 2025.

    Despite Africa’s strong presence at past Championships, the continent is still chasing its first medal, with the best performance being a quarterfinal finish.

    In recent individual ITTF World Championships held in Houston, USA, and Durban, South Africa, African players like Quadri Aruna of Nigeria and Omar Assar of Egypt have showcased their talent by reaching the quarterfinals in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

    Aruna made history as the first African to reach the quarterfinals of this prestigious tournament in Houston, defying the odds and setting a path for others. Aruna has been a trailblazer, achieving numerous firsts for Africa in table tennis. His remarkable performance at the 2014 ITTF World Cup in Düsseldorf, Germany, where he became the first African to reach the quarterfinals, earned him the ITTF World Player of the Year award.

    Read Also: Nigeria sparkle with 14 medals at ITTF World Para Future

    At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Aruna’s skill was on full display as he defeated former World No. 1 Timo Boll of Germany to become the first African to reach the Olympic quarterfinals.

    In the 2021 ITTF World Championships in Houston, Aruna continued to impress, defeating India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson to reach the quarterfinals, where his run was halted by Sweden’s Truls Moregard, the tournament’s Vice Champion.

    Following in Aruna’s footsteps, Egyptian star Omar Assar became the first African to reach consecutive quarterfinals at the Olympic Games, matching Aruna’s record at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. In Durban, Assar equalled Aruna’s ITTF World Championships record, becoming the second African to reach the quarterfinals. Assar’s journey included victories over Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar, Ecuador’s Alberto Mino, Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko, and Sweden’s Truls Moregard, solidifying his status as one of Africa’s brightest table tennis stars.

    In a touching display of camaraderie, Aruna embraced Assar on the field after his win over Pucar. Although Assar’s run ended in the quarterfinals against eventual champion Fan Zhendong, his performance highlighted the quality of African players on the global stage.

    As the world turns its attention to Doha, Africa hopes for another standout performance from its players, including established stars like Aruna, Assar, Dina Meshref, and Hana Goda, as well as debutants and teenage sensations like Tunisia’s Wassim Essid and Nigeria’s Matthew Kuti, who are ready to challenge the elite in Qatar.

  • I’m ready for battle, Aruna Quadri insists

    As the main draw of the singles event serves off today Tuesday April 23, Aruna Quadri believes he is ready to rock the boat against the world’s best at the ITTF World Championships holding in Budapest, Hungary.

    The Nigerian star is seeded 22 in the men’s singles and he is expected to confront a qualifier in the first round of the men’s singles and the Portugal-based athlete told NationSport yesterday that he is fully fit to take on any opponent. “I am fit to take on any player having arrived one week ago in Budapest to prepare myself for this competition. There is no doubt that it promises to be tough but I am ready to make myself and my country proud in Budapest. I have been lucky in this tournament but

    I am hoping that I can move forward this year and give my 100 percent best against any player,” he said.

    Like Quadri, Egypt’s Omar Assar has said that he hopes to exceed his last 32 feat in 2015; “I think I have the performance of 2015 behind me as I am looking to do better than that in Budapest. There is no doubt that everybody is playing well and there is bad player so I am hoping that I can do well this year. I had trained with Aruna Quadri in Budapest, and I can see that he is in shape for the tournament and I hope we can both be good ambassadors of Africa in the singles,” Assar said.

     

  • I was nervous against Oshonaike, admits Japan’s Hirano

    I was nervous against Oshonaike, admits Japan’s Hirano

    Despite recording an emphatic 4-0 win over Nigeria’s Olufunke Oshonaike, world number nine and Asian Champion, Miu Hirano has admitted that she was a bit nervous in the encounter at the ongoing ITTF World Championships.

    Hirano, who has been the only player in the world to have beaten Chinese players was, however, relaxed after the first to beat the African champion 4-0 in the first round match of the women’s singles.

    “When the match started I was very nervous because she is an experienced player with a lot of skills. But after the winning the first game, I calm myself to dominate the encounter. But I must admit that she is a very good player and I hope her game has boosted my confidence to go on in the tournament,” Hirano said.

  • Aruna Quadri begins campaign in men’s singles

    Aruna Quadri begins campaign in men’s singles



    Quadri Aruna will begin his campaign today in the men’s singles at the ongoing ITTF World Championships amidst wild jubilation from the German fans.
    The Germans are familiar with Aruna Quadri, as his exploits in Dusseldorf in 2014 is still fresh     in their memory when he stunned the world with his ferocious forehand, coupled with his athleticism to become the first African and black man to make it to the quarter-final stage of the annual ITTF World Cup.
    For defeating some of the world’s top players before succumbing to the former world and Olympic Champion – China’s Zhan Jike in the quarter-final, Quadri Aruna endeared himself into the hearts of the Germans with his powerful forehand which had been described as one of the best in the world.
    What transpired in Dusseldorf 2014 also shot Quadri Aruna to the top 30 in the world rating while he was also adjudged the 2014 ITTF Star Player.
    As if that was just a tip of the iceberg for the Nigerian, Quadri Aruna also broke the hearts of the Germans when he became the player to bundle out German star – Timo Boll at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Rather than hurting the Germans, his profile in Germany rose and he became a household name among the table tennis family in Germany.
    To confirm the popularity of Quadri Aruna in Germany, Senegal’s Sow Hamidou, who plies his trade in the fourth division of the German Bundesliga with Schott Jena said: “Prior to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Quadri Aruna was very popular among the Germans and when he defeated Timo Boll at Rio, his popularity soared and I can tell you that a lot of Germans are coming to Dusseldorf to watch the Nigerian who has remained the most popular African in Europe.”
    Also, Segun Toriola will taste action in the knockout stage alongside Nigeria’s rave of the moment, Olajide Omotayo who will also be aiming for a place in the main draw.
  • Ahead of 2017 World Championships: ITTF tips Quadri as title contender in Germany

    Ahead of 2017 World Championships: ITTF tips Quadri as title contender in Germany

    Less than one month to the 2017 World Table Tennis Championships, the world table tennis ruling body – International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has tipped Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri as one of the title contenders at the global tournament.

    According to ITTF, Quadri’s rising profile globally has made him a major contender in Dusseldorf, when the world championship serves off on May 29.

    Relying on his surprise performance at Rio 2016 Olympic Games as the Nigerian became the first African to reach the quarterfinal stage of the men’s single event of the Olympic Games.

    In an article released on ITTF website at the weekend, Quadri was listed alongside world and Olympic champion, China’s Ma Long as well as German favourite – Timo Boll.

    “Super humans with super powers. Sure they can be seen in the cinema, but don’t be content with pixelated powers; we want to see comic book heroes in the flesh. Lucky we have the Contenders heading to the 2017 World Championships. Everything they do next month in Düsseldorf will seem impossible. The Flash is fast, but Ma Long’s forehand can tap in to the Speed Force too. Captain America may have big heart, but as big as Quadri Aruna? Wonder Woman’s sword can pierce Doomsday but Miu Hirano has broken China’s defences. It’s going to be a gladiatorial contest and only two heroes will be left standing,” the article stated.

    Meanwhile, Aruna has been seeded number three in the 2017 ITTF World Tour tagged Croatia Open.

    The 2014 ITTF Star Player will begin his campaign in the main draw of the men’s singles event while he will also partner 2016 Lagos Open Champion, Finland’s Benedek Olah in the doubles event of the championship. However, Quadri and Olah will begin their campaign in the men’s doubles event in the preliminary round today.

  • I am on redemption mission in Dusseldorf – Onaolapo

    I am on redemption mission in Dusseldorf – Onaolapo

    After his last appearance for Nigeria at the 2016 World Team Championship in Malaysia, Ojo Onaolapo has not featured for his country but his recent resurgence in the Portuguese league may have prompted Nigeria to recall him to the Nigerian team.

     

    An elated Ojo Onaolapo was quick to admit that he would utilize the opportunity handed to him again to be part of the strong Nigerian team to the 2017 ITTF World Championships in Dusseldorf, Germany.

     

    “I am so happy that I have another opportunity to prove myself in this big arena. I will want to reenact my Commonwealth Games feat again by giving my 100 percent commitment to the team. I want to win back my fans by doing better than what I did at the 2014 Commonwealth Games,” he said.

     

    Having listed in the Nigerian team to the 2012, 2014 and 2016 World Team Championships, Ojo Onaolapo will be making his debut at the individual World Championship in Germany and he is aware of the quality of players expected at the tournament by saying, “This is a big tournament and the best players in the world are expected in Germany. I want to play better and justify my inclusion in the Nigerian team,” he added.

     

    “Nigerian team is among the best in the world considering the quality of the players in the team. Players are selected based on merit and recent performance. You are not selected based on your previous performance but based on your current outing and this makes it more difficult for any player to make the team,” Ojo Onaolapo explained.

     

    “My target is to qualify from the group before thinking of the next thing. But I must say that Aruna Quadri has shown us the way to beat the best in the game. He has made us realized that anything is possible as long as you remain focus and work hard. His humility and dedication to the sport are among the lessons I have picked from Aruna Quadri. So for me, I fear nobody and I look forward to a good outing as anything is possible in table tennis,” the 2015 U-21 Lagos Open Champion.