Aruna Quadri: Africa’s Finest Table Tennis Export is an article that presents the profile of the Nigerian professional Table tennis Player.
Date Of Birth: 9th August, 1988
Place of Birth: Oyo State, Nigeria
Overview
For some time now, in the dynamic sphere of Table Tennis, not many players have been consistent, whose names fill the daily tabloids and one of those is Aruna Quadri.
A Nigeria-born Table Tennis player whose emergence has been a prevailing force to reckon with within the game in Africa.
His resilience, skill, agility and focus are a captivating tool used in capturing the audience further adding to his burgeoning professional profile.
Aruna Quadri: Africa’s Finest Table Tennis Export
Childhood
From the earliest childhood period, Aruna Quadri grew fond of Table Tennis which he could willingly let go of meals for. His passion for the game was provoked at a very young age.
While in primary school, Table Tennis was introduced to him by his Physical Education Teacher who unearthed his hidden potential and encouraged him to go for the game.
During and after post-primary School Education, Quadri would never cease to accompany his elder brother, who is also a Table Tennis player, to the Table Tennis hall in Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria.
His potential, skill and hidden interests in the game did not take so long before being noticed which led him to be invited, among other players, to try out their skills.
However, this a decision which his mother was not first at ease with, but after much persuasion and thorough thinking, she allowed him as much as his involvement in Table Tennis would not have any adverse effects on his studies.
With help and efforts from his brother, trainers and senior Table Tennis players around, Quadri quickly assimilated and developed a penchant and a burning desire for the game.
He began playing regularly at a local club where he eventually met with Segun TORTOLA, his mentor and coach.
Segun Toriola is a Nigerian Table Tennis Legend who has participated in seven Olympic Tournaments.
From that moment, Toriola decided to groom, and help Quadri in his pursuit.
He started assisting him in improving his skills, movements and techniques.
At a very young age, Quadri’s tenacity, hard work, and determination were rewarded following his triumphs at local and national tournaments, respectively.
Photo Credit – IOC
He started representing Nigeria at various International Junior Competitions, i.e. the African Junior Championship and the World Junior Championship.
Quadri is a holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Security Management from the Atlantic International University of America.
Career
In 2004, Aruna Quadri won the gold medal, his first continental title in the Cadet’s Boys Singles, at the African Junior Championship in Mauritius.
He also took part in the senior category, in the same year, in the ITTF World Championships in Qatar.
Quadri appeared to be the first African Table Tennis player to make the ITTF top 10. He made it to the Men’s Singles quarterfinals at the ITTF 2014 World Cup.
Repeating the same stride in 2016, at the Rio Olympics, when he made history by becoming the first African Table Tennis player to reach Men’s Singles event quarter-finals.
In 2016, he became the ITTF star player of the year and was given a hero’s welcome following his return to Nigeria.
His successes fetched him various honours and ambassadorial appointments for Nigeria, Africa and Table Tennis which, till today, serves as a motivation and inspiration for younger players to imitate his footsteps.
Honours
Aruna took part in the 2017 ITTF African Cup and made it to the quarter-finals where he dropped Algeria’s Naim Karali out (4-1).
Subsequently in the semi-finals, he defeated Egypt’s Mohammed El-Beiali (4-3), advancing to the finals where he played his old and long-time rival, Omar Assar in a very tight contest (4-3).
Aruna won the tournament and unanimously became the 2017 African Cup champion.
In 2018, Aruna became the First Player from Africa to be ranked among the World’s top 20 players.
After his repeated successes at the Commonwealth Games where he won a silver medal in Men’s Singles and his participation in the 2018 ATTF African Cup, topping group 2, which allowed him to qualify for the Quarterfinals.
He defeated Derek Abrefa (4-0) in the quarter-final match, and also Ahmed Saleh in the Semi-final encounter to reach the finals of the African Competition. He met Omar Assar, a two-time African Champion, in the finals.
Assar won the first two games but Aruna made a comeback in the third game. Assar won the fourth game but lost some points in an attempt to end rallies early.
Aruna won the next two games, tying the score at 3-3. In the final game, Assar took an early lead and won the match, resulting in Aruna being placed second.
In 2019, at the World Championship in Budapest, Hungry, Aruna got to the Quarterfinals, reaching his best result in the competition.
He qualified automatically for the Tokyo Olympics, in 2020, based on his world ranking; in the same year, he joined Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg, a top club in the Russian league.
In 2021, Aruna reached the quarter-finals of the WTT Contender event at WTT Doha.
He was defeated by Lin Yun-Ju (3-1) in the quarter-finals after saving four match points and nearly mounting a comeback.
Aruna also reached the quarter-finals of the World Table Tennis Championships in Houston but lost 2-4 to Sweden’s Truls Möregårdh.
In 2023, he defended his title in the Men’s Singles of the ATTF African Championship for the third consecutive time, he defeated Ahmed Saleh of Egypt flawlessly (4-0) in the final match on Sunday, 17th September, in Tunis, Tunisia.
Aruna Quadri: Africa’s Finest Table Tennis Export
https://olympics.com/en/news/table-tennis-humble-hero-quadri-aruna-nigeria-africa
ITTF Ranking
Aruna Quadri is ranked Sixteenth and remains the unanimous number-one African Table Tennis player.
Automatic qualification for the Prestigious Frankfurt Elite Tournament awaits him, being among the World’s top-16 Table Tennis players. He wishes to bring the Gold Medal home to Nigeria.
He has become a role model and a mentor for many up-and-coming, young and aspiring Younger Table Tennis players, guiding, supporting and motivating them.
He is known for his humility, kindness, and magnanimous gesture towards the less privileged through numerous donations and initiatives.
Photo Credit – WTT
Aruna Fined By World Table Tennis
Quadri Aruna has been fined $5,000 by WTT over his inability to participate in the World Team Championship in February this year and the WTT Champions event in March.
He cited diarrhoea and club commitment, respectively as reasons for missing in action.
He refuses to pay the fine but instead, opts to take legal action against the Table Tennis Body.
Aruna Quadri Threatens To Sue World Table Tennis (WTT)
Quadri Aruna has fierily hit World Table Tennis (WTT) over its injustice metered out to him following his point deduction and undisclosed fine.
He has vowed to embark on legal action if denied ‘justice’ by the WTT.
World Table Tennis International, WTT, was established in 2019 by the International Table Tennis Federation, ITTF, to organise and commercialise Table Tennis Tournaments.
Aruna’s frustration emanated from the compulsory nature of these events, owed prize money and justice meted out to him which he perceived ‘unfair’.
Aruna Quadri: Africa’s Finest Table Tennis Export
Grievances
On Monday, in a Facebook post, Aruna in a series of social media posts appeared to directly address the WTT, the posts read:
“Why exactly must participation in World Table Tennis CHAMPIONS be mandatory when I have no paid contract with you?
“Why exactly do I have to leave the club that is paying me salary and play WTT EVENTS? Why exactly is this mandatory?” he asked.
Aruna stated the financial challenges he faces, especially considering unpaid winnings: “I have a family to take care of and I have bills to pay monthly, why exactly do I have to be forced to play where I will not win money?
Photo Credit – ITTF
“Several prize monies are yet to be paid by WTT and yet forcing players to play.
“My prize money from cup finals, Doha star contender and Goa star contender and even Singapore prize money are yet to be received and why exactly I must leave my contract with my clubs and play WTT CHAMPIONS IN KOREA and lose my contract with my clubs?.”
Aruna then went further to disclose how he struggled to take part in one of the World Championships which he failed to do due to illness and eventually led him to be punished:
“I was supposed to travel to Korea, unfortunately, I was very sick with chronic diarrhoea for five days. Do I need to die because I wanted to play?”
He stated that Nigeria, due to financial issues, depended heavily on him:
“Nigeria did not have enough players due to financial reasons, so my name was always on the list.
They also couldn’t participate in the junior championships for the same reason.”
Alleged Bias
Aruna stresses his punishment, the penalty is unfairly meted out to him:
“My first sin is because I was sick with chronic diarrhoea, I was not able to participate in world championships in Korea and I could not get a doctor’s report on time while on the sick bed and my appeal was rejected.”
He then pinpoints the stings of racial bias: “Is it because I’m Black, African, and Nigerian? I have worked so hard to be where I am today. I shouldn’t suffer for an offence I didn’t commit.”
Vows To Take Legal Action
Aruna has threatened to take the matter to court: “If this judgement is not changed against me, we will end up in court.
“I will never be a slave to WTT and play for bad prize money.”
It is to be noted that Aruna’s public attack has stemmed rancorous opinion in the public space with some commending his courage while others suggest the situation could be better handled.
Aruna Quadri: Africa’s Finest Table Tennis Export