Nigerian table tennis sensation Quadri Aruna has withdrawn from the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender in Lagos State.
The tournament is scheduled to hold at the Molade Okoya Indoor Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on June 18th, 2023, with Nigeria presenting a 25-member contingent to compete against its foreign counterparts.
In a video post on his Instagram handle, Aruna said the development was due to club engagements.
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“Nothing is as good as playing in front of my home fans and it’s always fun getting the huge support from them year after year,” Aruna said. “I am very sorry that I wouldn’t be able to make the WTT Contender in Lagos next week due to my club engagements.”
“I really hope that all of you (fans) will support my compatriots and other players the will be playing in the Lagos WTT Contender. Thank you also for all the support over the years and I really hope to see all of you soon in the next WTT event,” he added.
Aruna, who was knocked out by Spain’s Alvaro Robles in the round of 64 after a dramatic seven-set clash that ended 4-3 at the recently-concluded World Table Tennis Championship in South Africa, joined the Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg table tennis club of Russia earlier this year..
The Nigerian was to focus on the World Contender Series in Lagos. However, club engagements will see the table tennis star miss out on claiming more ranking points.
The Contender Series, which is the first in sub-Saharan Africa, will give players the opportunity to pick up ranking points in their quest to secure tickets to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
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