Aruna Quadri leaves China Smash in opening rounds

Nigeria table tennis icon, Aruna Quadri He has admitted that he struggled to handle the Denmark service Anders Lindfollowing his Defeat in straight sets In the first round of China Smash Tournament.

African No.1 had entered the contest with great hopes of a deep career, but the complicated LIND service game and tactical precision saw him dominate the key moments, sealing a 3-0 victory About the experienced Nigerian.

“The biggest problem was the service” – Aruna Quadri

Speaking after the game, the 35 -year -old man was brutally honest about where things came out.

“It’s the first time I play against them, it’s really difficult, the biggest problem was service.” Aruna confessed.

“I think that if I could put the service a little better, things could probably have changed in my favor.”

“But in general, I think I did the best I did, which is much more important to me.”

He added that he tested different strategies but could not fully adjust to Lind variations.

“I had trouble reading his service. Every time I thought he had adjusted me, he changed his turn or placement. Today it was very difficult for me.”

“It looks like a great score, but each set was close. I tried everything, but it wasn’t enough.”

Despite the loss, Aruna was full of gratitude for Chinese supporters who encouraged him throughout the game.

“I want to thank all the Chinese fans, you know, they kept me going all the time, they supported me a lot and I want to thank them, there are really no words, just to thank everyone.”

The support of the crowd has caused China to feel like a second home for Aruna, who is a fans favorite due to their attack and sportsmanship style.

“I always feel at home in China for fans. They show me a lot of love, and that means even in defeat.” said.

‘Nigeria and China Love Spice’ – Aruna Quadri

In a cheerful moment, Aruna laughs comparing Nigerian and Chinese kitchens:

“You know, I’m from Nigeria, we eat a lot of spicy food as they do here, so I like Chinese food. Like a lao, a hot pot, you know, all kinds of spicy Chinese food, I’m really well eating them.” He said joking.

“Nigeria and China are not so different when it comes to food. We both love our spice. Maybe I will take some pepper home as a motivation for my next tournament.” He added with a smile.

“Very close sets, I’m happy to win” – Anders Lind

Anders Lind, who claimed the victory, praised the Aruna level and admitted that the game was more difficult than the scoreboard suggested.

“It is a very difficult game. The first round is always difficult. When you come to the place, the moment and the sensation and the atmosphere are always a bit different. But I came with a goal of winning.” Lind said.

“Every point from the beginning of the game to the end I did my best. And yes, 3-0, very close sets. But in the end I am happy to go victorious.”

“Last year I was playing very well and now I am also in quite a good way. My expectation is that I will play good games.”

“If I win or lose, as we will see, I’m going to do my best in each game.”

“Of course, even if I play a good game, an opponent can play even better. So, low expectations in terms of how far I want to go, but I just want to do my best and enjoy playing games here, just like last year.”

Aruna calls the lack of government support

Aruna’s defeat occurred only a few weeks after publicly criticized the Nigerian government For years of inappropriate support, despite its consistent international achievements.

In a long Facebook post, he told his 15 -year trip:

“15 years ago, I arrived in Portugal to play as a professional table tennis player at the Portuguese Super League, and almost every weekend I played league games for my club.”

“Internationally, I was playing a minimum of a tournament in a month with the support of Barríster Wahid Alitan Oshodi … This financial support made me improve quickly.”

He revealed that he competed in Almost all the main tournaments without coachfinancing trips mainly through private sponsors.

“With zero support from the government of Nigeria, I played 99% of the tournaments without a coach, and I traveled most of the time only.” He wrote.

Aruna accredited the former sponsors for key moments in their career, including the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, where it reached the quarterfinals.

“The 2014 World Cup in Dusseldorf, my former sponsor (JOOLA) supported me with a German coach named Adomeit, while lawyer Wahid Enitan Oshodi paid my plane and hotel ticket, and the presence of the coach took me to the quarterfinals.”

“If I appear in 12 tournaments in one year, Nigeria only pays for a tournament, which is mainly an African tournament, and the rest is self-patrocina and is supported by Gewo”, said.

What’s still for Aruna Quadri?

Aruna is still determined to recover stronger from this defeat as one of the most respected and decorated table tennis players in Africa, with eyes on the next international events.

“This is what makes the sport exciting, each opponent brings something different. I will return, I will work on my return game and I will be better prepared for the next event,” said.