By Victor Kanayo
Mariam Aruna, daughter of Nigerian table tennis icon Quadri Aruna, is poised to make her debut for the country at the ITTF Africa Youth Championships, scheduled for Sunday, July 27 to Sunday, August 3 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
The 12-year-old is part of Nigeria’s U-15 girls’ team alongside Fatimoh Ahmed, Chinenye Okafor and Aziza Sezuo.
They will compete against players from 10 other nations, including Egypt, Tunisia, Uganda and South Africa.
Ahead of the continental event, Mariam, who is coached by her mother Ganiyat Aruna, made her WTT Contender debut in Lagos on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, she and her siblings secured podium finishes at the João Monteiro Table Tennis Tournament in Portugal.
Quadri Aruna has remained a force to be reckoned with as long as table tennis in Africa is concerned.
He has maintained a number one position in ITTF ranking in recent years, despite Egyptian Omar Assad’s close rivalry.
