Nigeria’s table tennis star, Quadri Aruna, suffered an early exit at the 2025 WTT China Smash after a straight-sets defeat to Denmark’s Anders Lind on Sunday.
The world No. 14 proved too strong for Africa’s highest-ranked player, winning 12-10, 13-11, 13-11 in the round of 64.
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Aruna, who had reached the round of 32 at the same event last year, admitted he faced a difficult challenge against Lind, particularly with his service game.
“It’s the first time I played against him. It’s really hard. The biggest problem was his serve. I think if I was able to put some of the serves a little bit better, probably things might have changed in my favour. But overall, I think I did my best, which is much more important to me,” Aruna told CGTN Sports Scene.
The Nigerian star also praised the Chinese fans for their unwavering support:
“They kept me going all the time. They supported me a lot, and I want to say thanks to them.”
Meanwhile, Aruna attention will shift to the 2025 Africa Champions where he is expected to lead Nigeria’s 10-man contingent to the competition scheduled from October 12–19 in Tunisia.
He will lead the men’s squad alongside Taiwo Mati, Olajide Omotayo, two-time West African champion Matthew Kuti, and rising star Abdulbasit Abdulfatai.
The women’s team will feature emerging talents such as Favour Ojo, Aishat Rabiu, Kabirat Ayoola, and Sukurat Aiyelabegan, with veteran Ajoke Ojomu captaining the side in Tunis.
