Quadri Aruna explains his decision to withdraw from 2025 African Table Tennis Championships

Four-time Olympian Quadri Aruna of Nigeria has officially withdrawn from the 2025 African Table Tennis Championships, set to take place from 12-19 October at the Rades Multisports Complex in Tunis, Tunisia.

Aruna, Africa’s highest-ranked men's table tennis player, cited fatigue from a demanding international schedule as the reason for his withdrawal. Having competed in numerous WTT tournaments throughout the year, the veteran athlete stressed the importance of prioritising rest and recovery ahead of future competitions.

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“I’ve been advised to take some time off, and I don’t want to ignore the medical team’s recommendation. I wish my teammates the very best in Tunis,” Aruna told Olympics.com from his base in Portugal.

"It is painful missing such a prestigious tournament as I would have loved to fight for the men's singles title this year after missing the 2024 edition because this tournament has helped to raise my profile," said Aruna, the first African to be named World Table Tennis Player of the Year.

Widely regarded as Africa’s most active player on the global circuit, Aruna’s withdrawal is seen as a major setback to Nigeria’s medal hopes at the African championships. He was considered a leading contender for the men’s singles title, having previously won the championship in 2018, 2022, and 2023.

Aruna, the first African ever to reach the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games in table tennis, is also the second most decorated player in the history of the ITTF-Africa Championships—behind Egypt’s Omar Assar, who will be chasing his fifth singles crown in Tunis having previously won in 2015, 2016, 2021, and 2024.

Nigeria’s top-ranked table tennis star, Aruna was eliminated in the first round of the China Smash 2025, falling to Denmark’s Anders Lind in his most recent tournament appearance. However, he is expected to return to action later this month, having been listed among the players expected to attend the WTT Champions Montpellier 2025 in France.

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