Table Tennis
QUADRI, ABIODUN RETAIN PORTUGUESE CUP IN TABLE TENNIS
Nigeria’s duo of Aruna Quadri and Bode Abiodun made it five Portuguese Cup title in a row at the weekend after their team – Sporting beat GDCS Juncal 3-0 to retain the Portuguese Cup.
Also, the women’s team of Sporting Club started their return to the first division on a good note by claiming the Portuguese Cup at the expense of GD Toledos in the finals played at the Municipal Sports Pavilion of Póvoa de Varzim.
In the report monitored on the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation website, Sporting has won the last four editions to increase their titles to 26 in the Portuguese Cup, the men’s team is made up of Nigeria’s duo of Aruna Quadri and Bode Abiodun as well as Portuguese internationals – Joao Monteiro and Diogo Carvalho proved why they remained the best team in Portugal.
The 2018 semifinalist in the ETTU Champions League were in fine form against GDCS Juncal with Nigerian superstar – Aruna Quadri championing the onslaught against their opponent.
Playing the first game against Russian Andrei Bukin, Aruna Quadri wasted no time to dismiss the Russian with a 3-0 (11-5, 11-2, 11-6) bashing.
But it was not same story for Diogo Carvalho who had to dig deep to defeat Romanian Mihai Sargu 3-2 (11-4, 8-11, 11-2, 11-13, 11-7).
The partnership of Bode Abiodun and Diogo Carvalho completed the rout for Sporting when they overcame the duo of David Bessa and Andrei Bukin 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-9) to lift the trophy for the fifth time in a row.
To berth in the men’s final, Sporting had defeated ADC Ponta do Pargo in the semi-finals (3-1), the CD São Roque in the quarterfinals (3-0) and CTM Lagos in the round of 16 (3-0).
The women’s team of Sporting who made their return to the elite division of the Portuguese league after playing in the lower division last season.
The women’s final involving Sporting and GD Toledos was officiated by the duo of Francisco Rocha and António Pacheco and it was Daniela Dodean Monteiro that started the campaign for Sporting when she defeated Olga Shishmareva 3-2 (11-5, 11-7, 5-11, 5-11, 6-11).
Li Fen increased the lead for Sporting when she beat Anita Luis 3-0 (5-11, 5-11, 5-11).
However, GD Toledos made a statement in the doubles game when the pair of Olga Shishmareva and Olga Chramko overcame Sporting’s Zhenqi and Barthel Apolónia 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-8).
To end the possibility of a comeback, Barthel Apolónia thrashed Toledos’ Anita Luís 3-0 (4-11, 1-11, 5-11)to hand the Sporting ladies the trophy.
The final phase of the competition was attended by 29 teams made up of 16 men and 13 women.
In men, Sporting Clube de Portugal won the last four editions of the trophy and now adds 26 titles, while the women’s team won the trophy for the 13th time, finishing the reign of CTM Mirandela who won the Portuguese Cup in the nine years above. From 1992-1993 the team “leonina” did not win the Cup.
The coach of Sporting women’s team Marco Rodrigues said: “It is very good to win again the Portuguese Cup for Sporting Clube de Portugal, after so many years of interruption.”
Sporting Director, Miguel Almeida added: “These two titles are very important, because they were a goal of the section and the club, which enters to win in all the races in which it participates.
“In the female case it was even more important because it is the first year in which, after we were absent from the 1st division, we returned victoriously. We are working to win the remaining titles until the end of the season.”
Egyptian teenage prodigy Hana Goda has etched her name into African sporting history after becoming the first African female player to reach the quarterfinals of the prestigious ITTF World Cup.
Goda’s landmark achievement, recorded on Friday in Macao, China, also saw her equal the feat set by Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, who became the first African to reach the last eight of the competition in 2014.
It has taken 12 years for Africa to produce another World Cup quarterfinalist, but Goda’s accomplishment carries even greater significance as she becomes both the first Egyptian and the first African woman to reach this stage of the tournament.
The 16-year-old announced her arrival in style during the group phase, dominating Group 14 with commanding 3-0 victories over Macao’s Leong On Na and Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching to advance to the knockout rounds.
Her defining moment came in a thrilling round-of-16 clash against France’s Jia Nan Yuan. After narrowly losing the opening game 11-9, Goda showed remarkable composure to fight back and level the contest before taking the lead. The experienced French opponent responded to push the match into a decisive seventh game.
In a dramatic finale, Goda trailed 7-10 but mounted a stunning comeback, saving match points to win 13-11 and secure a historic victory. Overcome with emotion, she collapsed to the floor in celebration after sealing her place in the quarterfinals.
“It is a joy and feeling that I can’t describe,” Goda said after the match. “It was a very strong match… we arrived at 3-3, and in the last game I was down 7-10 but fought back to win 13-11. Our Lord is generous.”
She also paid tribute to her coach, Hisham Ismail, for his unwavering belief throughout the contest.
Goda’s breakthrough represents a significant milestone for African table tennis, particularly for women’s participation in the sport, and signals a promising future for the continent on the global stage.
Her next challenge, however, will be formidable, as she is set to face world No. 1 Sun Yingsha of China in the quarterfinals.
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Africa’s leading table tennis star, Quadri Aruna, will spearhead the continent’s campaign at the 2026 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China, after being handed a challenging group-stage draw for the centenary edition of the tournament.
The competition, scheduled from March 30 to April 5, carries historic significance as the International Table Tennis Federation celebrates 100 years of the sport’s global administration. A total of 48 men and 48 women will compete for the prestigious Evans and Hammarlund Cups.
Aruna, Africa’s most decorated player on the global stage and the only African to have reached the World Cup quarterfinals—achieved in 2014 in Düsseldorf—has been drawn in Group 6 alongside Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar and Japan’s Sora Matsushima. The Nigerian will open his campaign on Monday against Pucar in what is expected to be a crucial tie in a tightly contested group.
Other African representatives also face formidable opposition. Egypt’s Omar Assar is placed in Group 5 with Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Jun-Yu. Meanwhile, Algeria’s debutant Stephane Ouaiche faces a stern test against France’s Simon Gauzy and China’s Wen Ruibo in Group 15.
In the women’s event, Africa’s hopes rest on a mix of youth and experience. Egypt’s rising star Hana Goda, the reigning African champion, will compete in Group 14 against Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching and Macao’s Leong On Na, as she aims to improve on her last-16 finish in 2025.
Veteran Dina Meshref faces one of the toughest assignments in the tournament, drawn in Group 1 alongside China’s world number one Sun Yingsha and Lin Yu-Jhun.
Also in action, Egypt’s Mariam Alhodaby will take on Germany’s Sabine Winter and Wales’ Anna Hursey in Group 12. At the same time, Algeria’s teenage prospect Tania Morice makes her debut in Group 16 against Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi and Romania’s Bernadette Szocs.
This year’s tournament introduces a significant format change, with Stage 1 group matches to be played as best-of-five games, increasing the intensity and leaving little margin for error. Only group winners will progress to the knockout stage, setting the stage for high-stakes encounters throughout the week.
With a difficult draw across both the men’s and women’s events, Africa’s representatives will need to deliver top-level performances to advance in what promises to be one of the most competitive editions in the tournament’s history.
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Nigeria’s Wahid Oshodi has reached another landmark in global sports administration following his appointment to the board of World Table Tennis (WTT), the commercial arm of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
The historic appointment was announced during the ITTF Executive Board meeting held on March 1, 2026, at the WTT Headquarters in Singapore.
Following the allocation of portfolios, ITTF President Petra Sörling and ITTF Executive Vice President Oshodi were nominated to represent the federation on the WTT Board. At the board’s subsequent meeting, Sörling was confirmed as Chair, succeeding former chairmen Liu Guoliang and Khalil Al-Mohannadi.
As the majority owner of WTT, the ITTF stated that it has a responsibility to ensure the commercial platform generates sustainable value for the sport and its 227 member associations worldwide. The latest appointments, according to the federation, reflect a renewed commitment to strengthening governance and strategic oversight of WTT.
Other members remaining on the board include Lei Zhenjian and Steve Dainton.
Speaking on her new role, Sörling emphasised the need for strong leadership and financial sustainability.
“The ITTF has always been the foundation on which table tennis thrives, and WTT is our instrument to take it further,” she said. “As Chair of the Board, I am here to ensure that WTT operates with profitability, governance, accountability, and long-term vision.”
Oshodi, who also serves as President of the African Table Tennis Federation, said his focus would be on building a solid governance structure for the organisation’s long-term development.
“Strong governance is what gives an organisation the structure to grow sustainably. I look forward to contributing to that work as the Board focuses on putting solid foundations in place for WTT’s long-term development,” he said.
His appointment represents a historic milestone as he becomes the first African to serve as a full director on the WTT Board.
Since its creation in 2019, WTT has transformed the professional landscape of table tennis with a modern and commercially driven structure aimed at elevating the sport globally.
Oshodi’s elevation also strengthens Africa’s voice in global sports governance. He first rose to prominence as President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, where he introduced reforms focused on governance, transparency, grassroots development and talent identification.
He later emerged as President of ITTF Africa, championing initiatives to expand the sport across the continent, improve coaching standards and create more international opportunities for African players.
His appointment to the WTT Board is widely regarded as both a personal achievement and a continental milestone, underscoring Africa’s growing influence in the governance and future direction of world table tennis.
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