February 20, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s table tennis team suffered a major setback at the 2024 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships this week with the late withdrawal of star player, Quadri Aruna, due to a case of food poisoning. This proved extremely costly for the Nigerian contingent.
Lacking their talisman and highest ranked player, the team struggled as they crashed out early alongside the likes of South Africa, Algeria and Madagascar. Pitted against high quality European and Asian opponents, the African challengers failed to make an impression as they bowed out after the opening round.
The news was more positive, however, for Egypt’s women’s team. Showing tremendous determination and tactical nous, they managed to safely navigate their way past the opening group stage. Securing statement wins over sides from Romania, Iran, Portugal and even Thailand, the athletic Egyptians advanced to round two as pool runners-up.
Egypt’s men’s team endured a more difficult start, losing their first few matches in disappointing fashion. Yet they mounted an impressive turnaround, scoring a vital 3-1 victory over Thailand to clinch fourth spot in their group and remain in contention going forward.
The standout African performer was Egyptian Dina Meshref. Competing in the women’s singles, Meshref topped her initial group with wins over the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Croatia. Though eventually losing to France, her efforts ensured progression and kept African hopes alive at the 12-day tournament being held in South Korea.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
