The 2025 ITTF Africa Cup champion, Omar Assar of Egypt, and his continental rival, Quadri Aruna of Nigeria, are among the top 32 players to compete for the $800,000 prize money at the WTT Champions Chongqing 2025 in China.
The tournament also features Africa’s top female players, Hana Goda and Dina Meshref of Egypt, who will battle against 30 other elite players, including the world No. 1 from China, in the first WTT Champions event of 2025.
WTT Champions Chongqing 2025 marks the season’s inaugural WTT Champions event, showcasing 32 Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles in electrifying action between March 11 and 16.
Assar will face German pen-holder Dan Qiu in the first round tomorrow ( March 12) while Aruna faces his biggest challenge yet against world No. 2, Wang Chuqin of China in what would be their first-ever competitive match on the same day.
For the first time in the WTT series, Chuqin and Aruna will go head-to-head in an intriguing first-round encounter.
Aruna, a seasoned competitor, brings experience and tactical versatility to the table, while Wang, backed by his ice-cold composure and a roaring home crowd, will aim to dictate the tempo. With no past meetings to reference, both players will step into uncharted waters in this Chongqing showdown.
Goda, who recently reclaimed her ITTF Africa Cup title after a 4-2 comeback against Meshref, will face South Korea’s sensation Shun Yubin in a battle of wits between two of the brightest stars in the world on Thursday, March 13.
Goda, a former quarterfinalist at this level, made history with her Top 8 finish last season in Montpellier, France.
The 17-year-old ace arrives in Chongqing on a mission, looking to bounce back from consecutive round of 32 exits at WTT Champions Frankfurt 2024 and Singapore Smash 2025.
For Meshref, it is another challenge for the nine-time Africa Cup champion as she confronts Korean star Kim Nayeong in the first round of the Women’s Singles on Tuesday, March 11.
Defending champions, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Dina Meshref, are set to defend their titles at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup in Tunis between February 25 and 27.
In addition to the titles, players will compete for spots at the 2025 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China, this April.
As the first tournament on the ITTF Africa calendar, the event promises to be explosive, with many of the continent’s top players heading to Tunisia next week. The semi-finalists in both the men’s and women’s events will secure their places at the expanded ITTF World Cup.
The El-Menzah Sports Palace, a multi-purpose arena with a capacity of 5,500 spectators, will host the three-day, $25,000 prize money tournament.
Aruna will renew his long-time rivalry with Egypt’s Omar Assar after they have shared equally 10 tittles between themselves.
Aruna, the most decorated player in the tournament’s history, has won the title five times (2009, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2024 ). Assar has also claimed the title five times (2015, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023).
Other notable players include Benin’s Abdel-Kabir Salifou, Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu, and Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, who will be looking to cause upsets.
On the women’s side, nine-time champion Dina Meshref will defend her crown against rising star and compatriot Hana Goda, the continent’s number-one ranked player, and 2024 runner-up Mariam Alhodaby.
Lotfi Guerfel, President of the Tunisia Table Tennis Federation (TTTF), promises an exciting event with live-streaming of matches.
“TTTF is well-prepared to host these significant events in Africa,” he said.“ Our team has accumulated extensive experience through previously hosted tournaments.
“We consistently seek feedback from all stakeholders to enhance the success of our future events.
“ Our readiness to host the Africa Cup is rooted in meticulous planning and organization, starting with establishing various committees with clear roles and responsibilities and ensuring all logistics, especially high-quality equipment, are in place.”
“ We will ensure our technology team is ready to broadcast the event online for remote audiences and provide updates through our dedicated platform.”
Wahid Enitan Oshodi, President of ITTF Africa, added: “The level of table tennis in Africa has grown exponentially over the last few years. This tournament is not only a platform for established players but also an opportunity for young talents to make a name for themselves.”
The ITTF Africa Cup 2025 will feature a preliminary round on the opening day, followed by knockout stages on the final two days. The four semi-finalists in both categories will automatically qualify for the ITTF Singles World Cup Macao 2025, which will be held from April 14 to 20, 2025.
The intense rivalry between Nigeria and Brazil in table tennis will be reignited as two of the best players from these nations, Quadri Aruna and Hugo Calderano, clash in the second round of the Men’s Singles at the WTT Singapore Smash 2025.
Exactly one year after their last encounter at the 2024 WTT Finals in Doha, the Nigerian star will face off against the Brazilian sensation in what promises to be an explosive match between continental champions.
Calderano holds a slight edge, having won two of their three previous meetings. However, Aruna has the psychological advantage, having triumphed in their most recent match in Doha.
Aruna began his campaign at the Singapore Smash 2025 with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over South Korea’s Oh Jungsun.
Despite losing the first game 8-11, the Nigerian turned the tide with an 11-8 win in the second game. The third game was closely contested, but Aruna’s fast-paced shots during the rally secured an 11-9 win.
In the fourth game, Aruna took charge at 4-4, gaining six points to lead 10-4. Although the Korean fought back to 10-7, Aruna ended the match with 11-7 to complete a 3-1 win, advancing to the second round to face Calderano.
On his part, Calderano dominated Portugal’s Marcos Freitas with a swift 3-0 win in the first round, securing his spot in the second round, where he will battle the African champion today.
With the exits of Egypt’s trio Omar Assar, Mohamed El-Beiali, and Youssef Abdelaziz, Aruna remains the only surviving African in the Men’s Singles.
In the Women’s Singles, Egypt’s Hana Goda celebrated her 17th birthday with a first-round win over Spain’s Maria Xiao.
Competing in her fifth WTT Grand Smash event, Goda aimed for her first-ever singles win on this prestigious stage. Facing Xiao for the first time, the Spaniard took the early lead, but Goda fought back to win 7-11, 13-11, 11-5, 12-10, marking another milestone in her budding career.
However, her compatriots Dina Meshref and Mariam Alhodaby were eliminated in the first round, leaving Goda as the only surviving African in the Women’s Singles. Goda will face China’s Ma Kuai in the second round, aiming to extend her stay in Doha.
Ganiat Aruna, wife of Nigeria’s number one table tennis player Quadri Aruna has revealed the family’s intention to continue in the table tennis tradition through their children. Ganiat, a former table tennis player who also played for Lagos State and serves as coach of her three children: Mariam, Aruna Junior, and Amira, said they chose table tennis of their own volition.
Already competing in international tournaments, the trio has shown consistency by picking up medals at meets in Portugal.
Recently, the oldest of them, Mariam Aruna placed second in the U-15 Girls’ event at the VIX João Monteiro Table Tennis Tournament in Portugal in January 2025. She also competed in the WTT Youth Contender Vila Real in Portugal in February 2024.
Quadri Aruna Jr, 11, also placed second in the U-11 Boys’ event at the VIX João Monteiro Table Tennis Tournament in Portugal, while Amira Aruna, placed third in the U-11 Girls’ event at the same event.
FAMILY LEGACY
Ganiat said: “Regarding the children, we only want to ensure the legacy continues. So we gave them the chance to try different sports so they could choose whichever they liked best. They started with football and table tennis, while the third child, Amirah, started with football and gymnastics; she later added table tennis.
“It all started as a joke; I would always take Mariam with me to training. Then, years later, her brother joined. At one point, we bought a table tennis table at home, and we would train them there. Along the way, they played table tennis and football twice a week. After they started playing in table tennis tournaments, they would feel bad after defeats and say they needed to train more, and I would agree. So their father advised that we reduce football to once a week to see how they would improve in table tennis, which we both agreed to, and it worked.”
CHOOSING TABLE TENNIS ABOVE OTHERS
Though they were encouraged to indulge in many sports, they chose table tennis.
“It was even the children who chose table tennis over football when they started winning, but as for Amira, she loves gymnastics more than table tennis, so she is doing both, and she is very good at gymnastics. They are also doing judo at school and are going to mini judo tournaments and have won some laurels.”
GROWING UP
Born and raised in Fadeyi-Lagos, her mum and grandmother played a greater role in her quest for excellence in table tennis.
“I lived with my grandmother in Fadeyi on Jacob Street. I started playing table tennis with my friends at home on any wooden table we found, using planks as our net. After improving, I started playing on the street; there was a table tennis table near our home. The owner was Baba Ahmed, father of Ahmed Bello and brother of Fatimo Bello. That’s where my journey began.
“After school, I attended lessons, did chores, and then played table tennis at Baba Ahmed’s place. Whenever I played, a large crowd gathered; many people bet on me. I never played without a crowd. I played everywhere on the streets of Mushin. In fact, anywhere I saw a table tennis, so I proceeded to playing inside the Rowe Park hall, and that is where the story changed for good. My grandmother and my mother gave me all the support I needed. I started playing in tournaments; at first, it was not as easy as I thought.
“After a while, everything started getting better, so I started winning matches against my peers, who found it increasingly difficult to defeat me, including the seniors. I won many matches against seniors then.”
She recalled that Hon. Enitan Wahid Oshodi cemented her progress nationally.
“Table tennis gave me a meaningful life; that is where I met our godsend, Hon. Enitan Oshodi, the president of the African Table Tennis Federation. He was our chairman then in Lagos. I was also the captain of his club and then called the Springfresh Smashers. He gave me all the support I needed; he would always check on me, buy me equipment, and pay my bills.
“He had so much belief in me, to the extent that whenever I was playing and I saw him shouting, “Come on, Gani, you can do it!” my strength would triple immediately.
He would even say, “Gani, if you win that game, you have a bonus,” and most times I won. I have represented my country (Nigeria) and have won laurels as well.”
Coaching her wards, she said comes with no challenge.
“As I don’t have any challenge coaching them because they are used to me. They practice more with me than with their dad because he is also facing his battles. However, when he is around, he is serious with them, but he will even play with them on Sundays to make up for missed days.
“But whenever there is a tournament, even if their dad is with us, he would always prefer me to coach them; he would always say that I know their games and their opponents better than he does, so I should coach them. Whenever their match times clash, he has no choice but to coach one of them, and if he is not around, I will do all the coaching myself by running from one table to the other whenever their matches clash.
“They keep getting better daily. By now, they are supposed to be attending WTT Youth events, but it is not easy. Their dad is still on the track, sponsoring himself, and table tennis today requires a lot of money, not to mention trying to sponsor three kids, including me, their mother, as a coach and guardian.”
SUPPORTIVE WIFE
While she is playing a pivotal role in the lives of their children, she is also there for her husband.
“That year he became the African champion in Morocco. I was the one who gave him moral support because we were both playing for Union Bank then. He moved to Lagos because of me; we both attended UNILAG then, but we did not finish. To the glory of God, we both graduated from AIU (Atlantic International University) in the US some years later. That year he was playing for Ogun State, so Union Bank loaned him to play for them at the club championships in Morocco. There were twelve players in the club then—six males and six females—and they were to pick ten, five of each gender.
Aruna Quadri
“So we all played trials. He didn’t play then, I think, so they dropped my late friend (Mojeed Olayiwola), and some of my teammates were angry that they would bring someone from elsewhere to play for them. Could he beat all of them, or was he better than them?
“So my husband was very sad and didn’t want to play for the club. One day at UNILAG, we were discussing the tournament, and he said he wouldn’t go. Then I told him I had a feeling that something good would happen in that tournament, that he must go, that God had a plan for him there. I told him my mind was telling me he must go. He kept saying no, but I kept pushing and begging him to give it a try. That is how he agreed to go.
“When we got to Morocco, he lost in the under-21 and round of 16, but with his help, we were able to secure a silver medal at the club championships. Then, in the senior category, he won the African Cup, and that was how he became the African champion for the first time. It was that title that got him a club in Portugal, and months later he brought me to Portugal, and we started living together.”
Though, still a long way coming, Ganiat believes that his children will step into the shoes of their father someday.
“We are planning toward it, it is not easy. Yes, I believe, by the special grace of God, that they will step into their father’s shoes in the near future. Yes, there are many advantages to playing in Europe, where there is an abundance of facilities.
SUPPORT FOR NIGERIAN YOUTHS
“My family also supports youth table tennis in Nigeria because we received help from Oshodi. My husband’s first sponsor, JOOLA, was introduced to him by the president. We achieved a lot through his support and guidance. So, all we are doing today is giving back to society and taking children off the streets by giving them a meaningful life through sports. We also have our club, Aruna Sports Club and Academy, in Lagos, Oyo, and Abuja, where we have many players and coaches. We also have a sports shop, Aruna Sports Shop, where many players are personally sponsored, not just our club players. For us, we are following in the footsteps of our leader, our president, and we are still learning. Lastly, I want to give all the glory to God Almighty for his faithfulness, blessings, and guidance over the years and beyond.”
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna continues his impressive run at the 2025 WTT Star Contender Doha, setting up a semifinal clash against the tournament’s No. 1 seed, Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan.
Aruna secured his third win at the tournament by defeating Korea’s Park Ganghyeon in an explosive quarterfinal match at the Lusail Arena in Doha.
Earlier on Friday, January 10, the second highest-ranked African player in the world avenged his previous losses to Spain’s Alvaro Robles with a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
In the quarterfinal match, Aruna showcased a dominant performance against the Korean qualifier, who had previously eliminated German top seed Patrick Franciska in the second round.
Quadri Aruna kicked off 2025 with a significant victory yesterday , by defeating British champion Liam Pitchford.
This win propelled him to the third round of the Men’s Singles at the WTT Star Contender Doha in Qatar.
Earlier in the competition, Egypt’s Dina Meshref was unable to overcome China’s Chen Yi, exiting the Women’s Singles in the second round with a 3-1 loss.
As the only remaining African competitor and the fifth seed, Aruna navigated the challenging style of Pitchford to avoid an early exit. Despite losing the first game 10-12, Aruna bounced back to win the next three games 11-9, 11-9, 11-9, securing his spot in the third round.
Next, Aruna will face Spain’s Alvaro Robles, who also advanced by defeating a Japanese contender in the second round.
The Men’s Singles draw saw a major upset with the third seed, Patrick Franziska of Germany, being eliminated in the round of 32. Franziska initially led against Park Ganghyeon of the Korea Republic but ultimately lost 3-2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8).
Frenchman Thibault Poret continued his impressive run in Doha, defeating No.14 seed Lim Jonghoon of Korea Republic (11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8) to reach his first round of 16 at the WTT Star Contender stage.
In the Women’s Singles, Britt Eerland celebrated advancing to the last 16 after a notable 3-1 win over No.14 seed Manika Batra of India (10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3). Eerland overcame an early setback in game one to win three consecutive games.
Bernadette Szocs also demonstrated remarkable resilience, coming from behind to defeat the German in five games (3-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9), showcasing her fighting spirit and determination.
Quadri Aruna will kick off his New Year campaign as the fifth seed at the WTT Star Contender Doha, which began yesterday with the main draw at the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, Qatar.
Also, Egypt’s Dina Meshref will commence her quest for glory in the second round of the Women’s Singles against China’s Chen Yi. The 2024 Africa Cup champion is making a return to the international scene after excusing herself from the 2024 African Championships in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Aruna, who started 2025 as the second highest-rated African, is ranked 21st in the latest ITTF rankings, just behind Egypt’s Omar Assar, who is ranked 18th in the world.
As one of the top-ranked players at the WTT Star Contender Doha, Aruna is seeded No. 5, following Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, Germany’s Dan Qui, Germany’s Patrick Franciska, and Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic, who are the top four seeds in the Men’s Singles.
Doha has been a favourable venue for Aruna, as he reached the semi-final stage at the 2022 edition. He hopes to replicate or surpass that achievement this year.
As one of the top seeds and the only African competing in the Men’s Singles, Aruna has received a bye to the second round (round of 32), where he is expected to face the winner between England’s Liam Pitchford and Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko.
Meshref got a bye to the second round as the 16th seed in the Women’s Singles as she is hoping to break her losing streak against the Chinese players this year.
The Lusail Sports Arena sets the stage for the six-day event, starting with two days of qualifying action from January 6 to 7, followed by the main draw from January 8 to 11.
A total prize pool of $275,000 is at stake, and the WTT Star Contender Doha 2025 offers players a prime opportunity to gain significant points in the ITTF Table Tennis World Rankings.
The tournament also marks the return of former champions, including Tomokazu Harimoto, the winner of the first-ever WTT Star Contender Doha in 2021.
Seven-time event champion in the WTT Series, Hina Hayata of Japan, is another player looking to rekindle her past success in Doha.
Additionally, surprise packages from the 2022 event, Andrej Gacina and Miyuu Kihara, will also be returning.
Quadri Aruna faces another formidable challenge as he takes on Germany’s Richardo Walther today in the second round of the Men’s Singles at the WTT Champions Frankfurt.
The Nigerian, currently ranked world No. 21, made headlines by stunning world No. 8 Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan with a thrilling 3-2 comeback in his opening match at the Süwag Energie Arena.
Aruna’s victory over Harimoto marks his second win at the WTT Champions, following his first triumph at the WTT Champions Montpellier last week. Meanwhile, Walther, making his debut at the WTT Champions, had a dream start by defeating Spain’s Alvaro Robles 3-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-9) in the first round on Tuesday, November 5.
The upcoming match is set to be a familiar encounter, as Aruna and Walther have previously faced each other in the German Bundesliga. A win for Aruna would be historic, making him the first African male player to reach the quarterfinal stage of the WTT Champions, a feat achieved by Egypt’s Hana Goda in the women’s category at the WTT Champions Montpellier.
The clash promises to be explosive, with the world No. 60 Walther taking on the world No. 21 Aruna. The home fans will undoubtedly support their local hero against the “adopted” Nigerian star, who has become a household name in Germany following his remarkable performance at the 2014 ITTF World Cup in Düsseldorf, where he became the first African to reach the quarterfinal stage.
Aruna’s success in the German Bundesliga has paved the way for many African players to join the lucrative league, and he remains a fan favourite across Germany. However, the immense support Aruna receives against Harimoto might be less when he faces Walther in what promises to be a battle royale.
Meanwhile, Egyptian teenager Hana Goda was eliminated in the first round of the Women’s Singles by her experienced Chinese opponent He Zhuojia, who won 3-1 (11-2, 11-1, 8-11, 11-4).
Quadri Aruna electrified the Süwag Energie Arena with a remarkable performance on the opening day of the WTT Champions Frankfurt 2024.
Ranked 21st in the world, the Nigerian pulled off a stunning 3-2 comeback victory against Japan’s No. 5 seed, Tomokazu Harimoto, with scores of (7-11, 11-13, 11-5, 14-12, 11-3).
This victory marked Aruna’s significant win of the day, thrilling the German fans with what can be described as one of his best displays in recent times.
Despite Harimoto’s strong start, winning the first two games, Aruna’s resilience shone through.
He fought back fiercely, much to the admiration of the crowd, and forced a decider.
In the fifth and final game, Aruna played with immense confidence and freedom, dominating the fast exchanges and shifting the momentum firmly in his favour.
His powerful backhand at 10-3 sealed the match, earning him a place in the round of 16 and his second-ever match win at the WTT Champions level, following his first win in Montpellier last week.
Aruna’s never-say-die attitude and exceptional skill left the German fans cheering, as he continues to blaze a trail for African table tennis on the global stage.
Being their fifth meeting on the international stage, Harimoto had an edge with three wins, while Aruna had two victories.
In the round of 16, Aruna will face the winner between Spain’s Alvaro Robles and Germany’s Richardo Walther.
However, 2024 African Champion Omar Assar of Egypt failed to go beyond the first round of the Men’s Singles after losing to Sweden’s Anton Kallberg 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-3), while his compatriot, Dina Meshref, who returned to international action in Frankfurt after missing the continental tournament in Ethiopia last month, fell to China’s Chen Xingtong 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-3) in the Women’s Singles.
Meanwhile, the first African to reach the quarterfinal of the WTT Champions, Hana Goda of Egypt will take on tournament’s wildcard He Zhuojia in the first round of the Women’s Singles tomorrow.
$500,000 is on the table, with the singles champions each coming away with $30,000 and 1000 ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking points.
Tournament No. 2 seed, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna was forced out of the Men’s Singles event at the 2024 ITTF Africa Championships in Addis Ababa due to a thigh injury and fatigue.
Despite leading Nigeria to a gold medal in the team event against Algeria on Monday, Aruna yesterday pulled out of his second-round match against Beninese Dodji Fanny.
Aruna explained his predicament amid fatigue and injury :“I’ve been playing in various tournaments for the past two months, often at different time zones. I was in India, Macau, China, and then Saudi Arabia for league matches.
“After a brief rest at home, I went to the French League for a training camp. Immediately after, I travelled to Ethiopia, which was exhausting. The high altitude in Addis Ababa made it even harder to acclimatize.”
He added: “During the team event, I felt pain in my buttock and tightness in my hamstring. It’s crucial to rest now to avoid worsening the injury.”
With several tournaments still ahead this year, including two more WTT Champions and leagues in Saudi Arabia and France, Aruna emphasized the importance of recovery.
“I need to rest to ensure I don’t aggravate the injury.” he said.
Aruna will stay with the team to support the younger players and will depart Addis Ababa with them this weekend.
