Aruna, Meshref in tough draw at 2023 WTT Contender Durban

Quadri Aruna of Nigeria serves against Truls Moregard of Sweden during the men’s singles quarterfinal match of the 2021 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships at George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. (Photo by AFP)

Africa’s top seeds, Quadri Aruna and Dina Meshref, have been handed tough draw at this year’s World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender holding in Durban. The ongoing WTT Series in South Africa serves as a dress rehearsal for this year’s World Championships scheduled for May in Durban.

Aruna, ranked fourth in the WTT championship and 14th in the world has a difficult task ahead of his campaigns, as he faces Chinese sensation, Sun Wen, in the men singles.

The Nigerian is a familiar foe for the Chinese, having taken down some of their finest players in the party, and Wen will be aiming to stop the reign of the African champion.

Meshref, on the other hand, who is also ranked fourth and number 28 in the world, has a daunting task against German-Chinese, Yuan Wan when battle begins in the first round of the women singles.

The Egyptian will have to be at her best against the skillful German ranked 86th in the world and capable of causing an upset against the highly rated African champion.

This year’s competition, which has as prize money the sum of $75,000 features number one seed, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano (World’s seventh); number two seed, German Dang Qiu (World’s 10th), and number three seed, German Patrick Franziska (World’s 13th) in the men category.

While the women class has German Nina Mittelham ranked number one (World 14th); German Xiaona Shan number two seed (World 24th), and China’s Fan Siqi number three seed (World 27th) among others. The championship ends on January 15 with winners receiving 400