Ahead 2014 Commonwealth Games: Quadri sure of table tennis’ medals, calls for more support

Among the medals won by Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games, table tennis has contributed some of it even as the next games holds in Scotland, Portugal-based Aruna Quadri believes with more support, Nigeria stands a chance of clinching medals in Glasgow.

Quadri, who defied all odds to make the last 16 at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)-sanctioned World Tour tagged Spanish Open, admitted that the attention giving to football is really affecting the fortune of other sports, particularly table tennis adversely.

“We really need support and motivation as we are hoping that things must change in our country’s sports because priority is just being accorded to football. For us in table tennis, things are not going well because is not giving enough support to the sport and this is putting us in a difficult situation all the time. Most times, we spend our personal money to attend competitions in order to be well prepared the Commonwealth Games. We really appreciate the financial support the President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Wahid Oshodi has been giving to us since January,” he said.

Unlike their foreign counterparts who have been getting granting from their sports ministry to attend tournaments in order to be in top form for the games, Quadri however, pleaded with the National Sports Commission (NSC) to consider supporting the players with grant to attend competitions.

“I wish to take part in more pro tours before Commonwealth Games but I need support and motivation, I have spent a lot on myself and I am in need of financial support to keep playing tournament regularly so as to be in good shape for Glasgow Games,” he added.

He expressed optimism that Team Nigeria has the wherewithal to be among the medal winning teams in Scotland, but said, “We stand a chance of winning medal in Scotland because at the Spanish Opens, we had five English players and five Indian players with one English and two Indians making it to the last 64.

But as Nigerians, we were only two that took part in the competition and only one of us made it to the main draw (round of 64).

England and Indian are not better than us at present, but because they are playing tournament regularly to keep improving.

We also need support to be playing tournament regularly and with that, we can be doing so much better than before,” he admitted.

“We are seriously calling the attention of NSC and stakeholders to support table tennis so that we can regain our past lost glory in the game,” he said.
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Toriola, Quadri, Ajetunmobi in good start at ITTF World Tour in Germany

Nigeria’s trio of Segun Toriola, Aruna Quadri and Seun Ajetunmobi began their campaigns at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)-sanctioned World Tour tagged German Open on good note on Wednesday with victories in their first matches at the five-day championship.

With over 290 players from 41 countries taking part in the championship holding in Magdeburg, Germany, Ajetunmobi inspired his compatriot early on Wednesday when he overcame homeboy – Germany’s Phillip Floritz in an explosive encounter that attracted the fans to table two.

From the start of the match, the German was confident that he was going to have a good run against the Nigerian and this came to past as he won the first two matches at 11-8, 11-5. But Ajetunmobi fought back to level up at 11-9, 11-9. The German again restored the lead with 1-5 win but as usual Ajetunmobi recovered to win the sixth game at 11-8. However, the final game was beyond the German as he fell 11-5 to Ajetunmobi to concede defeat to the Nigerian.

But Aruna was however, on easy lane as he whitewashed Italy’s Marco Rech Daldosso 13-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-6 while like Ajetunmobi, Toriola did not have it easy against Russia’s Taras Merzlikin but he fought hard to beat the Russian 15-13, 8-11, 9-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7.

To be certain of playing in the main draw, Ajetunmobi will play his last group match against Russia’s Alexey Liventsou, while Quadri will confront Japan’s Yuto Muramatsu on Thursday. Toriola will also battle Czech Republic’s Pavel Sirucek.

For the women’s singles pairing, Olaide Atinuke has been drawn in Group 22 alongside Slovakia’s Barbora Balazova and Hungary’s Dora Madarasz, while Ganiat Olatunde-Aruna will tackle Spain’s Galia Dvorak and Russia’s Elena Troshneva in Group 22.

Meanwhile, runner’s up at the 2010 edition in Berlin, China’s Wang Hao is the top seed in the men’s singles event at the tournament.
With the main draw expected to begin on Friday March 28, 30 year-old former world number one is no doubt approaching the twilight years of his international career, as the likes of Fan Zhendong and Yan An make their mark on the scene and press for places in the Chinese Men’s first team.

Like what Hao intends to achieve, Sweden’s Jan-Ove Waldner was 31 when he was crowned Men’s Singles World champion in Manchester in 1997; Werner Schlager was 30 years of age when he succeeded at the Liebherr World Championships in Paris in 2003.

In Germany, Hao will be seeking to add to the 13 already secured titles with the most recent being in Poland in November 2012.
The host nation’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Timo Boll are the respective second and third seeds. Ovtcharov won in 2012 in Berlin, while Boll is the most successful of all. He succeeded in 2004 in Leipzig, 2006 in Bayreuth and then in 2008 in Berlin and in 2009 in Bremen.

Quadri surmounts Chinese Taipei’s Peng…as Makanjuola falls at ITTF World Tour in Qatar

Like a Trojan soldier, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri defied all odds on Tuesday to surmount highly-rated Chinese Taipei’s Wang-Wei Peng at the ongoing International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour tagged: “Qatar Open holding in Doha.

However, the woes of his compatriot, Kazeem Makanjuola continued after he was pummeled by Singapore’s Zhaoxu Xin in the first group match of the men’s singles event of the competition.

A confident Quadri never allowed what befell him in Kuwait to affect his performance in Qatar, as he ensured that his teenage
opponent never had an upper hand in the explosive encounter.

From the start of the game, Quadri never hid his intention to make a mark in the competition as he won the first matches at 12-10, 11-5.

But the Chinese Taipei star recovered to win the third match at 13-11. Quadri, however, increased the lead with another 11-4 win.
Not ready to surrender the game to the Nigerian, the Chinese Taipei teenager again claimed the victory in the fifth match at 11-8.

Fired by the determination to ensure that he match his words with action, Quadri wasted not time to end the encounter by winning the sixth match at 11-6 to record a emphatic 4-2 win.

Quadri’s last group match will be against Portugal’s Joao Montiero on Wednesday to decide the eventual winner of the group that will compete in the main draw.

“I am happy that I won the match in a four sets battle. I noticed a little improvement in my game but I am yet to receive service very well,” Quadri admitted.

He added: “I had never played against the Chinese Taipei player before and I was a bit jittery before the match but after picking the first five points in the first match, my nervousness disappeared. This alone gave me the confidence to put more efforts. I am excited and I look forward to my next game on Wednesday.”

Meanwhile Left-handed Makanjuola could not get his rhythm when confronting Singapore’s Xin as he had his hands full with a 4-0 loss to set up a last group match against Lagos Classics champion, Egypt’s Omar Assar.

Also on Wednesday, Nigeria’s duo of Quadri and Makanjuola will confront home boys – Qatar’s pair of Fahed Almughanne and Mohammed Alyafei in the preliminary round of the men’s doubles.

The Qatar Open is the highest prize money tournament in the ITTF World Tours with a total package of $500,000, while players that make it to the main draw in the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles events will get $1,500 for their efforts, while winners of the Men’s and Women’s Singles events will receive $35,000 each with runners’ up getting $17,000 respectively.

200 players from 35 countries are participating in the five-day tournament, which is one of the Super Series in the tour.

Quadri, Makanjuola begin campaigns at Kuwait ITTF World Tour

Quadri, Makanjuola begin campaigns at Kuwait ITTF World Tour

Nigeria’s flagbearers at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour, tagged Kuwait Open, Aruna Quadri and Kazeem Makanjuola will on Wednesday February 12 begin their campaigns at the five-day tournament.

The unseeded duo of Quadri and Makanjuola will compete in the qualifying round made up of three players in each group with the top player making it to the main draw of the competition.

As the tournament serves off on Wednesday February 12 at the Salwa Sporting Club with over 243 players drawn from 33 countries taking part in the five-day $210,000 prize money championship.

Also the Nigerians will jostle for honours in the doubles event alongside other top players
Makanjuola, who is optimistic of creating an upset, promises not to disappoint in his maiden outing in an ITTF World Tour, said,

“I am so happy that I am taking part in my first World Tour and for me this is another opportunity to prove myself. I am targeting that I will qualify from the group and also defeat some of the top players in the competition. I am eager to better my performance with this championship.”

For Portugal-based Quadri, who last week inspired G. D. Toledos to retain the Portuguese Cup, believes attending the championship would help them to shape up for this year’s Commonwealth Games holding in Scotland.

“This is good that we are taking part in top class tournament and I am sure that this will also serve as a build up to the Commonwealth Games. We are hopeful that we will take part in more of this for us to be in good shape for the Commonwealth Games. I am in top form for now and I am hoping to do well in Kuwait and also improve on this at the Qatar Open,” the 2011 All Africa Games medalist said.

The Kuwait Open is the first super series to be staged this year with this year’s entry exceeding the 193 players recorded in 2010.
The men’s doubles could well witness over 60 pairings and the Women’s Doubles some 35 partnerships.