Nigeria’s top-ranked table tennis player, Aruna Quadri, pulled out of the tournament ITTF World Table Tennis Championships which began on Friday, in South Korea, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 33-year-old made this known through a post on his Facebook Page on Friday.
Quadri revealed that he withdrew from the tournament because of food poisoning but wished the team good luck in South Korea.
“Unfortunately, I will not be participating in world championships in Busan, I am seriously ill with food poisoning,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
“I wish the team good luck.”
The 2023 African Champion was expected to lead the Nigerian men’s team in their first group match against Japan on Friday but in his absence Segun Toriola’s team were walked over.
However, Toriola remains confident that Team Nigeria can still qualify from the group.
“I am aware that the Japanese are afraid of Aruna and their coaching crew have been worried about their formation of their team but when the news filtered that Aruna would not be coming, they were a bit relieved that they have a bye to the next game,” Toriola said.
“But we can give up even though it is a big blow to the team here in Korea and we will not give up hoping that we can progress from the group.”
Meanwhile, there are up to eight Olympic qualifying spots in each respective team competition at Paris 2024 at stake. These will go to teams who reach the quarter-finals that have not previously secured their spots.
In the men’s team event, spots have already been obtained by France (hosts), China, Australia, Sweden, Brazil, Canada and Egypt.
The women’s quotas have already gone to France (hosts), China, Australia, Germany, the United States, Brazil and Egypt.
