Aruna reached the semi-finals in Houston, improving the African record – Channels Television

Nigerian Quadri Aruna is the first African to reach the quarter-finals in the history of the ITTF Table Tennis World Cup Finals.

The Nigerian speaks loudly, and his presence is felt among the stars competing in the finals of the 2021 ITTF Table Tennis World Championships at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, USA.

A record breaker

Earlier on Thursday, Aruna broke the Round 32 record set by the Egyptian duo Omar Assar and Ahmed Saleh in 2019 after defeating the Indians Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 4-3 (11-9, 7-11, 13-15, 11-3, 4-). 11, 11-9, 11-7) playoffs.

But late on Friday, November 26, he wiped the record to make a new record with a place in the semifinals of the championship.

In the 2014 ITTF World Player of the Year, he set a record to become the first Nigerian and African player in the top eight of the World Table Tennis Championships after winning Kristian Karlsson of Sweden 4-3 (11-9). , 5-11, 13-11, 5-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6).

“It’s awesome. I had to dig deep, and I gave everything I had. I’m excited about the quarterfinals. I’ve played very well and the spirit of never giving up is always there,” Aruna said in an post-match interview.

Arunas ’historic move to the top eight World Table Tennis Championships is a testament to the growth of table tennis in Africa. “It means a lot to me,” he said, “especially for Nigeria and the whole of Africa. Table tennis is growing very fast in Africa. Now we have several players in the Top 100.

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Maintaining Momentum

Reaching the top eight in the World Championship is already a record-breaking achievement for Aruna, but keeping up the pace will keep her going.

The Nigerian will face another Swedish record-breaking Truls Moregard in the semi-finals tonight in Houston. The 77th on the world list beat Lim Jonghoon from South Korea 4-3 and advanced to the tournament.

Aruna and the Swede last met in August at the WTT Contender in Budapest and Moregard won 3-2. The Nigerian will compete on Saturday night, relying on his current form and the support he has received worldwide since his record performance.

Tournament sparks

According to the ITTF, players from Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Asia are expected to continue to shed light on a historic event hosted in America for the first time in its history.

Asian and European players are not disappointed with their great performances, but their challenges on the international stage are now being tested by ever-rising forces from around the world, making table tennis a truly global sport.

Kanak Jha also showed that he was able to meet anyone on his day. The 21-year-old American is part of a new generation of rising stars set to illuminate the competition in the world of table tennis. He is the first American male player to reach this stage since 1959.

Although Pan-American Adriana Diaz did not make it to the semi-finals, she achieved her best result in these World Championships by reaching the 16th round.

The first female table tennis player to represent Puerto Rico on the Olympic stage hopes many will follow her path. “I want to take the sport forward, get more people to play and bring even more people to my sport,” he said after his match.

Brazilian Hugo Calderano, who won his first international championship at the WTT Star Contender in Doha in September and is currently ranked four, will be the first Brazilian of all time to advance to the quarterfinals.

While the semifinals of this year’s World Cup really showcase the universality of table tennis, the ITTF is doing its utmost to promote new initiatives and grow the sport globally.