Table Tennis
Toriola Explains Why Aruna’s Absence Affected Nigeria’s Performance In Busan –
There is no doubt that Nigeria is out of contention for a place in the knockout stage of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships taking place in Busan, South Korea, but handler of the team Segun Toriola has attributed the team’s early exit to the absence of their talisman Quadri Aruna.
Aruna withdrew from the tournament following the illness he had few days to the competition and his absence may have affected the fortunes of Nigeria in the Asian city of Busan.
“It is obvious that the absence of Aruna affected the team’s performance because being a top player, his presence alone would have motivated his teammates to do well.
“Even before our match against Japan was a walk-over , the technical crew of the Asian giant were fretting thinking that Aruna may pose a big challenge for them. Fortunately for them, Aruna withdrew for them to have an easy passage in the competition.
“Aruna no doubt is one of the most respected players in the world because of his quality and for me his presence in the team would mentally and psychologically help his teammates to do well.
“We lost to Madagascar because we don’t have him in the team because the Madagascans are a strong team and looking down on them will not be entertained,” Toriola admitted.
The former African champion who was named as the acting coach of the national team by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) said it is time that young players were exposed to top class competitions just like Tunisia and other African nations have been doing lately.
“We need to start exposing our young players to competitions of this magnitude so that they can learn from the likes of Aruna and Olajide Omotayo.
“This will boost their morale going into any competition just like what Tunisia has been doing lately. Other countries like Algeria now have quality players who had failed to make the French team and are now seeking success in their native country to be able to make it to the Olympic Games.
“We need to watch out for this kind of player and we must continue to support our young players in their quest to compete favourably with their foreign counterparts,” he added.
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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