Nigeria’s table tennis champion, Aruna Quadri, is set to kick off his medal campaign at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. On Saturday, Quadri will face Romania’s Eduard Ionescu in the opening round of the men’s singles event. This encounter marks a crucial moment for Quadri, who is eager to avenge a previous defeat to Ionescu. The Romanian had narrowly beaten him 3-2 in the semi-finals of the European Champions League.
The matchups for the Olympic table tennis competition were determined during the draw held on Wednesday at the South Paris Arena, the official venue for the games. This draw has set the stage for several exciting contests featuring Nigerian athletes.
In addition to Quadri’s highly anticipated match, fellow Nigerian Olajide Omotayo is slated to compete against Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan, also on Saturday. The women’s singles events will see Offiong Edem taking on Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi, while newcomer Fatimo Bello will challenge Jia Nan Yuan, a Chinese-born player representing France.
The table tennis events in Paris will span from Saturday through August 10, promising intense competition and showcasing talent from around the world. There are five medal events in total: men’s and women’s singles, mixed doubles, and men’s and women’s team events.
The schedule for the medal matches is as follows: women’s singles medals will be contested on August 3, with the men’s singles following on August 4. The mixed doubles medal matches will be held on the upcoming Tuesday. The men’s team event will have its medal matches on August 9, and the women’s team event will conclude the table tennis competition with its medal matches on August 10.
