Aruna lost to Germany’s Ricardo Walter 3-2 in the round of 16 at the WTT Championship in Frankfurt.
World Table Tennis governing body, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has showered praise on Nigerian table tennis star Quadri Aruna after his exit from the WTT Frankfurt.
Aruna was defeated in the round of 16 by Germany’s Ricardo Walter after losing 3-2 at the ongoing WTT Championship in Frankfurt, Germany.
A win for Aruna would be historic, making him the first African male player to reach the quarterfinal stage of the WTT Champions.
Legendary Tennis icon Aruna fought back to defeat Japan’s Harimoto despite losing the first two sets.
Despite the defeat, the ITTF acknowledged Quadri’s fighting spirit, stating, “Aruna Quadri may be out of the WTT Frankfurt, but he left it all on the table with an incredible fight against Ricardo Walter.”
The home fans supported their local hero against the “adopted” Nigerian star, who gained fame in Germany after becoming the first African to reach the quarterfinals at the 2014 ITTF World Cup in Düsseldorf.
Meanwhile, Quadri started the tournament on a strong note, defeating world No. 8 Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan 3-2 in a thrilling round of 32 matches.
Quadri Aruna, Olajide Omotayo, Ajoke Ojomu, and Fatimo Bello are joined by promising young talents Matthew Kuti, Muiz Adegoke, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, Aishat Rabiu, Hope Udoaka, and Aziza Sezuo for the championship in Ethiopia.
The team captain joined Quadri Aruna, Super Falcons, and several others who have been eliminated from the games.
Aruna’s victory over Harimoto is his second win at the WTT Champions, following his first victory in Montpellier last week. However, he has bowed out of the WTT Championship in Frankfurt, Germany.
