Quadri Aruna of Nigeria, a rising star in the game of table tennis, defeated Ahmed Saleh of Egypt in the men’s singles final on Sunday to win the competition and maintain his championship.
Aruna, the top-seeded player in the competition, defeated Saleh with a commanding 4-0 victory to retain the championship she earned in Algeria the previous year.
Aruna, however, had conflicting emotions in Tunis because she had missed the opportunity to attend the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to an injury sustained there.
“I am pleased with the victory since I have both good and negative memories of Tunis, where I sustained an injury while attempting to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Another championship here would help to forget the unpleasant experience. I’ll remember this victory for a very long time. I’m content and eager for the upcoming challenge, the Nigerian remarked.
Hana Goda, a teenage sensation from Egypt, defeated Dina Meshref, another one of her countrywomen, to win the women’s singles division.
Goda, a two-time winner of the Africa Cup, also outperformed the defending champion, Meshref, in the final women’s singles match, winning 4-1.
Goda, a 15-year-old cheerleader, called the triumph “special” as she exclaimed it.
“This is unique, especially with the Tunisian fans’ support. I’ll treasure this for a very long time,” she remarked.
