Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) President, Ishaku Tijkon, has commended Quadri Aruna for reaching the quarterfinals of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Grand Smash Series in Singapore, where he became the first African to get to that stage.
Tikon noted that the Nigerian star defeated some highly-rated players, including Japanese star, Tomokazu Harimoto, who had beaten him thrice in the past, on his way to the last eight of the WTT Grand Slam Series.
“Aruna’s victorious outing at the Singapore WTT Smash Series and his emphatic victory over Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan will remain on the lips of many global table tennis followers for a long time,” Tikon said.
Although Aruna lost his quarterfinals match 0-4 to Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, who is rated number four in the world, Tikon said the Nigerian’s performance in Singapore is a boost to the country’s table tennis development, adding that it would spur the younger ones to aim for greatness in the sport.
