Aruna beats Egypt’s Saleh to retain crown at ITTF African Champs

After defeating Ahmed Saleh of Egypt in the decisive match on Sunday, Quadri Aruna of Nigeria successfully defended his title in the men’s singles category of the 2023 ITTF African Championships.

The tournament’s top seed, Aruna, defeated Saleh in the final match with a commanding 4-0 victory to retain the trophy he won in Algeria the previous year.

On the same day in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, teenage tennis phenom Hana Goda of Egypt defeated Dina Meshref, a fellow countrywoman, to win the women’s singles title.

In the final match of the women’s singles, Goda, a two-time winner of the Africa Cup, once again inspired the crowd by defeating Meshref 4-1.

For Aruna in Tunis, victory brought mixed emotions because he had missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games ticket due to an injury sustained at the same location.

“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,” added Aruna.

An excited 15-year-old Goda described the victory as “special”.

“This is special, especially with the support from the Tunisian fans. I will cherish this for a long time to come,” she said.