Quadri Aruna is determined to break his losing streak against Sweden’s Anton Kallberg when they meet today in the Group 16 decider of the 2025 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China. The Nigerian table tennis star has suffered three consecutive defeats against the Swede and is eager to turn the tide in this crucial group-stage match.
Despite nursing a hamstring injury, Aruna managed to secure a 3-1 win over Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou in his group opener. Now, his focus shifts to the highly anticipated clash against Kallberg, who has also been in top form and is eyeing another victory against the Nigerian.
“I will prepare. It’s one match after the other. I plan to relax on Tuesday, April 15, and see how it goes. I lost to him in our last three meetings, but I hope to get my revenge this time,” said Aruna.
Kallberg, who defeated Salifou 4-0 on Tuesday to set up the final group clash with Aruna, remains equally focused. “We’ve played quite often in the last few years and know each other well. I’ll review our past matches and prepare accordingly,” the Swede said.
Elsewhere, Egypt’s representatives at the tournament—Hana Goda, Dina Meshref, and Omar Assar—are also aiming for knockout stage spots after strong group stage performances. Goda will face Austria’s Sofia Polcanov, while Meshref takes on China’s Man Kuai in her final group match.
Unlike his compatriots, Assar kicked off his campaign on Tuesday with a dominant 4-0 win over Cameroon’s Ylane Batix. He will battle South Korea’s An Jaehyun next, with hopes of advancing. “All the players in the tournament are very strong, so there is no easy draw. I have An Jaehyun tomorrow. He’s a good player. I’ll do my rituals and fight for every point. We’ve played several times before, and I’ll study the game to perform as well as I did today,” said Assar.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Mariam Alhodaby and Mohamed El-Beiali, along with Salifou and Batix, have exited the competition after suffering their second group losses.
In para table tennis, Nigeria shone at the ITTF World Para Future in Amman, Jordan, finishing among the top three nations. The team earned five gold, seven silver, and two bronze medals. National coach Nosiru Sule praised the players’ performance and thanked the National Sports Commission for its support.
