Aruna, the renowned Nigerian table tennis player, faced elimination from the ongoing ITTF World Cup Macao 2024 during a match on Wednesday, as reported by Punch Sports Extra.
In the crucial match of Group 15 men’s singles, the 35-year-old Aruna couldn’t maintain his earlier momentum and suffered a 3-1 defeat (12-10, 11-9, 11-9, 3-11) against Portugal’s Marcos Freitas.
This loss marked Aruna’s second defeat in the tournament, following an initial 4-0 defeat by Daniel Gonzalez of Croatia in the previous match.
Despite his exit from the tournament after two losses, Aruna, hailing from Ibadan, continues to hold the title of Africa’s top performer in the event, notably achieving the quarter-finals in 2014 in Germany.
In another captivating match, Egypt’s Omar Assar showcased an exceptional performance against the Swedish champion Truls Moregardh, securing a 3-1 victory (15-13, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5) that enthralled the spectators at the Galaxy Arena.
Having previously defeated Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan 4-0, Assar claimed victory in Group 16 and advanced to the knockout stage of the tournament, which offers a lucrative $1 million prize pool.
The women’s competition witnessed African Champion Hana Goda’s elimination after a 4-0 loss (11-6, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9) to Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz in the final group match.
Furthermore, the Egyptian trio of Mohamed El-Beiali, Yousra Helmy, and Mariam Alhodaby concluded their journey in the tournament, alongside Cameroon’s Sarah Hanffou, who exited after losing all her group matches.
At the conclusion of the initial phase, the standout performer from each group will advance to Stage 2, featuring an electrifying knockout format with a best-of-seven-game structure, determining the ultimate champion through head-to-head competitions.