Nigerian table tennis icon, Quadri Aruna has received a stern warning that his dominance of the sport in Africa is facing a stiff threat from several fast-rising young players from all across the continent.
Sports247 reports that the wake-up call came from the president of International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Petra Sorling, who noted that the recent African championship in Tunisia revealed that top players like Aruna and Omar Assar of Egypt are facing stiff challenges from several emergent talents.
Sorling cited advancements in ITTF’s youth development efforts and progressive collaborations with table tennis federations across the continent as reasons behind a new wave of top potentials emerging fast in the ping pong sport.
“I really see a great future for table tennis in Africa. It’s evident that the programmes we are running together with the member associations always pay of. I have never seen so many countries playing at such a high level; as well as the young generation showing so much promise.
“They are really putting pressure on the big names, like Aruna and Omar Assar; as well as the female side. They really had to play hard to endure to the final.
I believe this is the result of a very good cooperation with member associations and all our development programmes that are ongoing,” Sorling pointed out.
