African table tennis superstars, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Omar Assar, have been handed challenging first-round draws in the Men’s Singles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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The draw, conducted on Wednesday, July 24 at the South Paris Arena, set the stage for intense matchups, also affecting Africa’s prospects in team and mixed doubles events.
Quadri Aruna will face Romania’s Eduard Ionescu, a familiar opponent who previously defeated him 3-2 in the European Champions League semifinals.
Aruna’s compatriot, Olajide Omotayo, has a tough match against Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan, known for his left-handed play and unpredictable style.
For Egypt, Omar Assar will take on Madagascar’s Fabio Rakotoarimanana, while Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa faces Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar. Nigeria-born Congo Brazzaville player, Saheed Idowu, will play against Sweden’s Anton Kallberg. Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw starts in the preliminary round against Nepal’s Santoo Shrestha.
In the Women’s Singles, Nigeria’s Offiong Edem will compete against Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi, and debutant Fatimo Bello will face French-Chinese player Jia Nana Yuan.
African champion Dina Meshref of Egypt will challenge Spain’s Maria Xiao, while her teammate Hana Goda faces Dutch player Britt Eerland. Algeria’s Lynda Loghraibi is set to compete against world No. 2, Chen Meng of China. Cameroon’s Sarah Hanffou will play against Guyana’s Chelsea Edghill in the preliminary round.
In the team events, Egypt’s men and women will face Chinese Taipei and China in the first round. Additionally, Assar and Meshref will compete against World No. 1 Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha of China in the Mixed Doubles event.
With the draw complete, the table tennis competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games promises an exhilarating showcase starting July 27. The world’s top players are set to deliver unforgettable performances as they vie for Olympic glory.
