Aruna Quadri has successfully retained his title in the men’s singles of the 2023 ITTF African Championships after beating Ahmed Saleh of Egypt in the final match played on September 17, 2023.
Aruna, who is the tournament’s number one seed, overwhelmed Saleh in the final clash with a convincing 4-0 win to hold on to the title he won last year in Algeria.
There were mixed feelings for Aruna in Tunis, having missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games ticket through injury at the same venue.
“I am happy with the title because I have a good and bad memory of Tunis, having got injured here during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualification. Winning another title here is good to erase the bad memory. This win will remain with me for a long time. I am happy and I look forward to the next challenge.”
Egyptian teenage sensation, Hana Goda, dethroned her compatriot Dina Meshref to claim the women’s singles title on the final day of action in Tunis, the Tunisian capital.
Two-time Africa Cup champion Goda was at her best against defending champion Meshref with another inspiring 4-1 win in the final encounter of the women’s singles.
In the words of the excited 15-year-old Goda:
“This is special, especially with the support from the Tunisian fans. I will cherish this for a long time to come.”
Before the triumph recorded by Aruna at the 2023 ITTF African Championships, seven-time Olympian, Funke Oshonaike, partnered with rising star Fatimo Bello to claim the gold medal for Nigeria in the women’s doubles event on September 16.
The feat made them the first Nigerians to win a gold medal in the fiercely contested tournament in Tunis, Tunisia.
The ITTF Africa Championship serves as a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the Egyptians dominated all the events, carting away multiple Olympic spots.
