Table Tennis
ARUNA QUADRI’S SWANSONG EARNS SPORTING 37TH TITLE IN PORTUGAL
It was an emotional feeling for Aruna Quadri during the final of the Portuguese national league final as the Nigerian played his last match for the team to claim its 37th title.
Quadri who joined the team in 2016 from GD Toledos was the cynosure of all eyes as fans and players hailed the Nigerian for his immense contribution to the team.
To win the fifth league title with Sporting, Quadri was full of appreciation to the team that he admitted has helped his career to glow.
Sporting CP won the fifth championship in a row and 37th national title on Sunday July 5, when they beat GD Toledos 3-0 in the 2nd leg of the final held at the High Performance Center of Vila Nova de Gaia, after repeating the same margin in the first leg on Saturday July 4.
From the 18 league matches played this season, Sporting were unbeaten dropping only five sets in all their matches to attain 70 points which is 22 more than second placed GD Toledos.
A delighted Quadri who will be moving to Germany next season described Portugal as a home away from home.
“After ten years in Portugal, it was time to leave for a championship with another level.
“I was very happy here, Portugal for me is almost the same as Nigeria and I will continue to live in Portugal because I have a family here. I will train a few times at Sporting for the year,”Quadri said.
For the final match against his former club, he said: ”It was a very difficult game particularly against my former team and mate, Diogo Silva, who is a player with a lot of talent.
“We played together for four years and it is always difficult to play against him.”
Also Quadri’s compatriot – Bode Abiodun admitted that it was a difficult match having returned to the game after several weeks of inactivity. “It was a very difficult game, but I am very satisfied with the victory and with another title, which was the main objective of the season.”
Portuguese international, Diogo Carvalho also spoke about the tie, “We managed to win another title for Sporting, which was our goal. The match with Énio was very tactical, because we know each other well, we played together for six years in Spain, so we know each other’s game.”
The coach of Sporting, Chen CP Shao, lauded the players. “This Championship final was complicated, with a long stop and now without the public at the stands. The players managed to show some quality, despite having been out for four months.”
For the President of Portugal Table Tennis Federation, Pedro Miguel Moura ending the league was a big achievement for the federation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This was a very special moment for the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation, I hope it is very special for the whole community.
“Although this is the end of the season, we start with the starting point of what will be the next months of table tennis in Portugal, with this new reality. It was a learning process to continue doing what we like, which is to practice table tennis.
“Train and compete within the rules of protection, with health. We will have been the first sport to compete in this phase of deflation so it is a very special moment for us.
“I would also like to leave a word to the club presidents, because they have offered to come here to dispute this final phase, and to the Federation staff, who have been tireless in these last two weeks. ”
Results
2nd Leg
GD Toledos, 0 – Sporting CP, 3
Énio Mendes, 1 – Diogo Carvalho, 3 (3-11, 3-11, 11-5, 5-11)
Diogo Silva, 1 – Aruna Quadri, 3 (11-5, 6-11, 7-11, 3-11)
Boboye Oyenyan, 0 – Bode Abiodun, 3 (8-11, 5-11, 8-11)
First Leg
Sporting CP, 3 – GD Toledos, 0
Aruna Quadri, 3 – Énio Mendes, 2 (11-4, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-3)
Diogo Carvalho, 3 – Diogo Silva, 1 (13-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7)
Bode Abiodun, 3 – Boboye Oyenyan, 1 (11-8, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6)
Egypt reaffirmed its status as the undisputed powerhouse of African table tennis with a commanding performance at the 2025 ITTF Africa Championships in Tunis, clinching gold in both the men’s and women’s team events — and sweeping all three doubles titles in a show of continental supremacy.
Led by continental icons Omar Assar and Hana Goda, the Egyptian teams were unstoppable throughout the eight-day championship, maintaining their dominance in a tournament that drew Africa’s finest talents.
In the women’s team final, Egypt proved too strong for Uganda, cruising to a 3–0 victory to retain their crown. The win marked Egypt’s 18th women’s team title, solidifying their place as the most successful nation in the history of the competition. Their previous triumphs date back to 1962, and include victories in 1964, 1968, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
In the men’s event, Egypt reclaimed continental supremacy by defeating Algeria in the final, having earlier edged defending champions Nigeria in a tense semifinal encounter. The triumph brought Egypt’s men’s team title tally to 16, reinforcing their long-standing dominance of African table tennis.
While Egypt celebrated history, Uganda made their own by becoming the first East African nation to reach the women’s team final. The trio of Judith Nangozi, Judith Mirembe, and Jemimah Nakawala stunned Nigeria 3–1 in the semifinals before settling for silver.
In the men’s category, Morocco returned to the continental spotlight by claiming bronze after a 3–1 semifinal loss to Algeria, while Nigeria secured bronze by finishing third following their semifinal defeat to Egypt.
The individual events further highlighted Egypt’s superiority. Omar Assar etched his name deeper into history by winning a record fifth men’s singles title, while Hana Goda, the teenage sensation, became the youngest and first-ever player to win the women’s singles title three consecutive times.
Egypt’s sweep extended to the doubles events, capturing gold in Mixed Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Men’s Doubles.
In the Mixed Doubles final, defending champions Youssef Abdelaziz and Mariam Alhodaby retained their crown with a straight-sets victory (11–4, 11–7, 11–9) over compatriots Mostafa Badr and Marwa Alhodaby.
The newly formed pair of Dina Meshref and Hana Goda triumphed in the Women’s Doubles, defeating the Alhodaby twins, Mariam and Marwa, 3–1 (11–9, 11–8, 9–11, 11–4) to claim their first title together — building on their impressive run to the final at the WTT Contender Lagos in July.
In the Men’s Doubles, Youssef Abdelaziz added to his medal collection by partnering Mohamed El-Beiali to overcome Algeria’s Bella Maheidine and Jellouli Milhane 3–1 (11–7, 8–11, 11–6, 11–2) in an enthralling final.
With their latest clean sweep, Egypt has once again stamped its authority as Africa’s table tennis superpower — blending experience, youthful flair, and unmatched consistency to reign supreme on the continental stage.
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African table tennis giants Egypt, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Algeria have secured qualification for the 2026 ITTF World Team Championships in London, United Kingdom, following commanding displays in the group stages of the ongoing 2025 ITTF Africa Championships in Tunis.
The Egyptian team
In the men’s event, Egypt became the first team to book their ticket after routine victories over Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. Nigeria followed suit with dominant 3-0 wins against Cameroon and South Africa in Group B, while Morocco also progressed after beating both sides to set up a group decider with Nigeria. Algeria and hosts Tunisia completed the list of African qualifiers by topping Groups C and D, respectively.
The women’s competition mirrored the men’s results, with Egypt, Nigeria, and Algeria clinching their places in London. They will be joined by Uganda’s youthful team, whose qualification marks a breakthrough achievement for East African table tennis.
Scheduled for April 28 to May 10, 2026, the London event will mark a historic milestone — the centenary of the ITTF and the World Table Tennis Championships, both founded in the British capital in 1926.
A total of 64 teams per gender will compete in London. Of these, 52 will qualify through continental championships, 11 via world rankings (as of November 2025), while England, as host nation, receives automatic qualification.
As the countdown to London 2026 begins, the stage is set for Africa’s finest to join the world’s best in what promises to be a once-in-a-century celebration of global table tennis excellence.
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The contest for Africa’s eight available team slots at the 2026 ITTF World Team Championships intensifies today, October 17, as the continent’s best converge at the Rades Multidisciplinary Complex for the ongoing 2025 ITTF Africa Championships.
A total of 16 men’s teams and 14 women’s teams began their campaigns in the group stage, with Egypt and Nigeria leading the pack as top seeds. At stake is qualification for the global showpiece scheduled to hold in London, the historic birthplace of table tennis.
Adding to the prestige, the 2026 World Team Championships will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) — a milestone that has made this year’s African qualifiers even more competitive.
Defending champions Egypt remain the team to beat in both the men’s and women’s categories, boasting a star-studded lineup led by newly crowned continental singles champions Omar Assar and Hana Goda.
Nigeria, however, faces a major test without Africa’s top-ranked male player Quadri Aruna, whose absence has already been felt in the singles events, where no Nigerian reached the quarterfinals. The team salvaged pride with a bronze medal in the Men’s Doubles, but the focus now shifts to securing one of the coveted World Team slots.
Despite the challenges, Taiwo Mati, one of Nigeria’s key players, remains upbeat.
“We really missed our captain, but that notwithstanding, we’re ready to face any team in the competition,” he said. “We all want to go to London in 2026, and we’re hopeful of clinching one of the tickets.”
Host nation Tunisia is banking on the experience of Wassim Essid and the promise of rising star Youssef Aidli to make a strong showing on home soil. Meanwhile, Algeria, led by Mehdi Bouloussa and veteran Sami Kherouf, has expressed confidence in its chances to challenge Egypt’s dominance.
With the competition entering its decisive phase, tension and anticipation are mounting in Tunis — as Africa’s top table tennis nations battle not just for medals, but for a place on the world stage in London 2026.
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