Aruna Akinade Quadri has emerged overall winner in the men’s singles of the 2022 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Senior Championship.
The 34-year-old Nigerian defeated Egypt’s Omar Assar to win his second continental title, which took place on September 9, 2022 in Algiers, Algeria.
Aruna came back from two sets down (first two sets 11-8 and 11-9 ) to overcome his fierce rival and register a 4-3 win (8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 13-11, 14-12).
Last year, Assar had stopped Quadri’s bid to retain the title he won in Mauritius in 2018 with a sweeping 4-1 victory in Yaounde, Cameroon.
The African number one then completely swept the remaining sets to win the biggest laurel in a competition that has been barren for Nigeria heretofore.
Taiwo Mati, Africa’s Under-19 champion, produced one of the biggest upsets in the championship after defeating Ahmed Saleh, Africa’s number 3 in the men’s singles quarter-final.
The Nigerian teenager was defeated by Aruna in the semi-finals.
En-route the final, Aruna:
- defeated Cameroon’s Yiane Batix (4-1) in the Round of 32
- defeated Egypt’s Mohammed (4-0) in the Round of 16.
- defeated Egypt’s Khalid (4-1) in the Q/finals.
- defeated Compatriot, Mati Taiwo in the S/final: (4-0) 11-6, 11-9, 11-9, 14-12.
- defeated Egypt’s Assar (4-3) in the Final.
Nigeria’s third representative, Olajide Omotayo was defeated (2-4) by eventual finalist, Omar Assar in the Q/finals.
This will be Quadri’s second African Senior Championship after beating Ahmed Saleh (4-1) in Port Louis in 2018.
According to Aruna Akinade Quadri:
“Everyone wants to win, our country believes in us, and that’s why we are here. I have always believed I could win but didn’t know if it would be possible. I have always played in the final which means I have lost in the past four years so I’m happy that finally I won something.
It is never over until it is over. We started from 0-0 but I lost some chances. I didn’t give up, I just kept on fighting; I know that if it is my game to win, then it will happen, otherwise, I wouldn’t have won it. But I kept believing in myself, I just never gave up.
Yes, this is a consolation for me because I believe I should have won in Lagos at the 2022 ITTF Africa Cup, although nothing is for sure in sport, but I was 3-3, 4-0 up and in best position, but this is sports, anything can happen and I got injured and lost. Indeed, it is a kind of consolation. I’m very happy; everything happens for a reason. Algeria is a country I will never forget. It’s my first time here and I won; it will be an everlasting memory for me.”
In the women’s singles, Dina Meshref defeated Yousra Helmy to claim her third continental crown. She beat her compatriot 4-0 in the final.
Egypt won both the men and women’s team events, defeating Algeria and Tunisia respectively.
