Nigerian table tennis star Quadri Aruna will participate in the inaugural WTT Contender Chennai in India, replacing German star Dimitrij Ovtcharov. The event, which is the fifth WTT tournament of the year, will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium from March 25 to 30, with a prize pool of $270,000.
Aruna, along with nine other players, has been confirmed for the men’s singles, including his African rival, Egypt’s Omar Assar. Other confirmed players include Denmark’s Jonathan Groth (17), Brazil’s Hugo Calderano (6), and world number four Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan.
The 36-year-old has already competed in two WTT events this year. He reached the semi-finals in January at the WTT Star Contender in Doha, where he lost to Harimoto. Last week, Aruna was eliminated from the WTT Champions Chongqing 2025 in a 3-0 defeat to China’s Wang Chuqin in the round of 32.
Aruna is eager to put in a strong performance in Chennai, with the World Table Tennis body expressing confidence in his ability to shine. “Stay tuned. There’s more to come from Quadri Aruna in India,” WTT posted on Monday after confirming his participation.
Mounir Bessah, WTT Executive Director of Events, described the competition as a bold step forward, highlighting the significance of Chennai’s inclusion in the WTT calendar. “We are ready to deliver an unforgettable spectacle for players and fans,” Bessah said, noting the support of Tamil Nadu’s government and the prestigious venue.
