The World Table Tennis, WTT Star Contender Chennai witnessed contrasting fortunes for Africa’s two biggest table tennis stars.
While Egypt’s Omar Assar cruised into the next round, Nigerian legend Quadri Aruna suffered a surprising early exit.
Held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in India, the tournament featured some of the world’s best paddlers, but it was Aruna’s shocking loss and Assar’s resilience that grabbed headlines on the African front.
Assar shows grit to power through
Fresh off his 2025 African Cup triumph, Omar Assar entered the competition as the No. 5 seed and was given a bye into the second round (round of 32).
Facing Hong Kong’s Kwan Man Ho, Assar had a shaky start, losing the opening game 4-11.
However, the Egyptian champion quickly found his rhythm, battling back with 11-7, 11-3, and 12-10 victories to secure his place in the last 16, with a convincing win.
His next challenge will come against the winner of the tie between South Korea’s Oh Junsung and Hong Kong’s Chan Baldwin on Saturday, 29 March.
Aruna falls to rising star Feng Yi-Hsin
In a major upset, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, the No. 4 seed, was sent packing by Chinese Taipei’s 22-year-old sensation Feng Yi-Hsin.
It was the young Feng’s first ever win against the highest-ranked African in the world.
Despite his experience and higher ranking, Aruna struggled to match the speed and precision of his young opponent, losing in straight games (13-11, 11-8, 11-8).
This defeat marks a disappointing campaign for Africa’s top-ranked player, who will now shift focus to his next challenge on the global stage.
Other big upsets in Chennai
The tournament also saw other unexpected results:
– Flavien Coton (16, France) shocked No. 9 seed Alvaro Robles (Spain), winning in four games (11-1, 11-3, 6-11, 13-11).
– India’s Manika Batra, the home favorite and No. 9 seed, crashed out in the Women’s Singles after a round of 32 loss to Huang Yu-Jie (World No. 239).
African hopes rest on Assar
With Aruna out of the tournament, all eyes are now on Omar Assar as Africa’s last hope for glory in Chennai.
Can the Egyptian star go all the way, or will another surprise shake up the competition? The journey continues.
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