By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria’s Table Tennis Star and Africa’s number one man, Quadri Aruna and others, are currently in Singapore for a week-long competition known as WTT Smash.
The competition which kicks off on Saturday March 11, will also feature Egypt’s Omar Assar, a former African champion.
The main draw of Singapore Smash 2023 runs till March 19, and will feature 64 player men’s and women’s singles and 24-pair doubles and mixed competitions.
In the opening fixture, Aruna, highest Africa’s ranked table tennis star, will clash against familiar foe and Germany’s Ruwen Filus in the first round of the men’s singles at the WTT Singapore Smash taking place at the Singapore Sports Hub’s OCBC Arena.
The Nigerian listed among the top seeds that will start their campaigns from the first round of the main draw has had an edge over the German in their previous meetings but the recent form of Filus in the Bundesliga would be a threat to Aruna.
Being his third WTT tournament this year having featured at the WTT Doha and Durban earlier, Aruna will be hoping to surpass his second round exit at the 2022 edition with a comfortable win over the German star.
In another tie, Africa’s second seed, Assar, has been pitched against Portuguese international Tiago Apolonia in the first round.
Last year’s Africa Cup Champion, Hana Goda, has been drawn against Germany’s Sabine Winter while Africa’s highest ranked female player Dina Meshref of Egypt will face home girls Goi Rui Xuan in the first round of the women’s singles.
All eyes will be on defending Singapore Smash champions China’s Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, who are eager to do battle to retain their singles crowns, while Singapore’s table tennis players are also raring to do the home fans proud when the main draw starts.
