Nigerian table tennis stalwart, Quadri Aruna, saw his campaign at the ongoing ITTF World Cup Macao 2024 come to an end on Wednesday following a 3-1 defeat to Portugal’s Marcos Freitas in the decisive Group 15 match of the men’s singles.
Aruna, 35, failed to capitalize on his promising start to the tournament, succumbing to Freitas with scores of 12-10, 11-9, 11-9, 3-11. This loss marked his second defeat in the competition, having suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Daniel Gonzalez from Croatia the previous day.
Despite bowing out of the tournament after back-to-back losses, the Ibadan-born athlete maintains his status as Africa’s top performer at the event. Notably, Aruna reached the quarter-finals of the ITTF World Cup in 2014, held in Germany, showcasing his prowess and enduring impact on the continental table tennis scene.
While Aruna’s journey in Macao may have concluded sooner than anticipated, his legacy as one of Africa’s finest table tennis players remains intact, serving as an inspiration to aspiring athletes across the continent.
