Quadri Aruna will return to action in the WTT Star Contender Bangkok 2024 in Thailand after missing the WTT Contender events in Lagos and Tunis last month.
As one of the top seeds in men’s singles, the Nigerian hopes to improve his rating ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Aruna, who is currently ranked 16th by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), has a chance to be one of the top 16 seeds in the men’s singles in Paris, where only two of the top five Chinese players compete.
Aruna stands out as the sole African star competing against a star-studded line-up in Bangkok Ta king place at the Huamark Indoor Stadium.
Having missed the 2023 edition of the Lagos event, he was scheduled to compete at the second edition of the Lagos event, which was held at the Molade Okoya-Thoma Hall at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, but he withdrew days before the tournament.
The Deputy President of the ITTF Africa and the Chairman of the LOC, Wahid Oshodi, explained that the player was preparing himself for the Olympics.
“He (Aruna Quadri) has been advised not to participate in WTT Contender Lagos, but the physio as a precautionary measure to avoid injury due to his body,” Mr. Oshodi said.
“Aruna is currently preparing for the biggest event, which is the Olympics.
“He is 35 years old now, so he does not have much time remaining to win an Olympic medal. He is currently working hard with experienced Segun Toriola (head coach of the Nigerian table tennis team) in preparation for the upcoming Olympics.”
Joining Aruna in Bangkok is Canada’s Edward Ly, whose meteoric rise from beyond the top 300 to world No. 36 within a year is as inspiring as remarkable. Ly’s 2024 journey includes his WTT Champions debut, and he has continued his ascent in the rankings.
