TheCable

Africa’s highest-ranked table tennis player, Aruna Quadri, says he’s in need of a coach to prosecute the 2017 ITTF World Cup holding in Liege, Belgium.

Quadri, who was the first African to qualify for the quarterfinal of the Olympic Games, says he lacks the sponsorship to hire a coach.

“I am actually getting used to playing without a coach because I have no sponsor,” said Quadri who will be making his second consecutive appearance at the ITTF World Cup.

“Since I have no sponsor in order to have a coach, I just have to play alone.

“I can say that a coach is very, very important but since I have no support, I just have to keep on playing alone. Actually, if I am not ready to play in the Bulgaria Open, I wouldn’t come along.

“But I am here because I am ready to play without a coach. If I had a coach, it would be even better of course.”

Quadri attributed his victory against Japan’s Yuto Kizukuri in the round of 16 of the Bulgaria Open to sheer luck.

“I think I have been really lucky in this tournament. It was my best match I was 6-3 down in the last set but luckily I won,” he said.

“I gained some confidence from the round of 16 match. I have something really important happening here and I am very happy.”

Speaking of his performance at the recently held Nigeria Open, Quadri said his failure to make a major impact at the tournament will make him a better player.

“It is one of the things that normally happen in sports. It is meant to buckle me up,” he said.

Solomon Dalung, the minister of sports, had promised to support Quadri’s participation at the ITTF World Cup but the player says nothing has been done in that regard.