Idris Adesina
Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri became the first African to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games table tennis event on Monday after beating London 2012 bronze medallist Germany’s Timo Boll 4-2 in the fourth round of the men’s singles at Riocentro Pavilion 3.
The 28-year-old France-based player defeated the world number 13 in 16 minutes in his third game to send the Nigerian and Brazilian fans at the venue into rapturous celebrations.
Quadri, who is attending his second Olympics, won 12-10 in the first set before taking the second and third sets 12-10, 11-5. Boll regrouped and won the next two sets 11-3, 11-5 but the Nigerian, who is ranked 40th in the world, took the sixth set 11-9.
The 2014 ITTF Star Player of the Year had earlier in the third round defeated world number seven, Chinese Taipei’s Chang Chun-Yuan, to book a place against Boll. He will play world number one China’s Ma Long, who defeated Korea’s Jeoung Youngsik in the quarterfinals, on Tuesday (today).
Team Nigeria’s assistant captain, Funke Oshonaike, hailed Quadri for his heroic performance.
The six-time Olympian said, “Aruna won and I am so proud of him; he’s going to play Ma Long. Let’s wish him luck and let’s keep praying for him, he can make it.”
Quadri had a bye into the second round where he defeated Slovakia’s Yang Wang 4-1 before overcoming Chun-Yuan 4-0.
He is also the first African to reach the quarterfinals of the International Table Tennis Federation’s World Cup for men in 2014.
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