BY Idris Shehu
Aruna Quadri was defeated by Egypt’s Omar Assar in the final of the men’s singles table tennis event at the 2024 African Games.
Aruna lost 4-3 to his Egyptian arch-rival to settle for silver in a keenly contested battle in Accra, Ghana, on Tuesday.
The loss in the final continued the unpalatable record of no African Games gold medal for Aruna in the men’s singles event despite participating in four editions.
He represented Nigeria in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2011 and did not make the podium. In 2015, Aruna was defeated by Assar in the men’s singles final in Brazzaville, Congo.
Four years later, compatriot Olajide Omotayo beat him to the gold medal in Rabat, Morocco.
Speaking on his latest loss, Aruna described the match as “difficult” and hailed the level of competitiveness of table tennis on the continent.
“It’s really hard and tough. But of course, we keep fighting and fighting. It’s not about winning all the time, it’s about sportsmanship,” he said.
“This is why we are professionals; this is what we are made to do. It’s always a very difficult match; it shows that the level of the competition is actually improving.”
Meanwhile, Offiong Edem settled for bronze in the women’s table tennis singles event to win Nigeria’s first medal at the African Games in Ghana.
Edem was beaten 4-0 by Dina Meshref in the semi-final clash after she had gone the Alhodaby twins – Marwa and Mariam – in the last 16 and quarter-finals to join the league of medalists in the games.
16-year-old Hana Goda, however, defeated Meshref 4-2 in the final to take the women’s singles gold medal.
The table tennis event took place a few days before the commencement of the Games, which are scheduled to run from March 8 to 23.
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