Nigeria’s table tennis icon, Aruna Quadri has admitted that he struggled to handle the serve of Denmark’s Anders Lind, following his straight-sets defeat in the opening round of the China Smash tournament.
The African No.1 had entered the contest with high hopes of a deep run, but Lind’s tricky service game and tactical precision saw him dominate key moments, sealing a 3-0 victory over the experienced Nigerian.
“The biggest problem was the serve” – Aruna Quadri
Speaking after the match, the 35-year-old was brutally honest about where things went wrong.
“It’s first time I play against them, it’s really hard, the biggest problem was the serve,” Aruna confessed.
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“I think if I was able to put some of the serve a little bit better, probably the things might have changed in my favor.”
“But in the overall, I think I did my best, which is much more important to me.”
He added that he tried different strategies but couldn’t fully adjust to Lind’s variations.
“I had problems reading his serve. Every time I thought I had adjusted, he changed his spin or placement. It was very difficult for me today.”
“It looks like a big scoreline, but each set was close. I tried everything, but it wasn’t enough.”
Despite the loss, Aruna was full of gratitude to the enthusiastic Chinese supporters who cheered him on throughout the game.
“I want to say thanks to all the Chinese fans, you know, they kept me going all the time, they supported me a lot and I want to say thanks to them, really no words, just to say thanks to all of them.”
The crowd’s backing has made China feel like a second home for Aruna, who is a fan favourite due to his attacking style and sportsmanship.
“I always feel at home in China because of the fans. They show me so much love, and that means a lot even in defeat,” he said.
‘Nigeria and China Love Spice’ – Aruna Quadri
In a light-hearted moment, Aruna drew laughter by comparing Nigerian and Chinese cuisines:
“You know, I’m from Nigeria, we eat a lot of spicy food just like they do here, so I like Chinese food. I eat Ai Di Lao, hot pot, you know, all kind of spicy Chinese food, I’m really okay eating them,” he said jokingly.
“Nigeria and China are not so different when it comes to food. We both love our spice. Maybe I’ll take some pepper back home as 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 win, praised Aruna’s level and admitted the match was tougher than the scoreline suggested.
“It’s a very difficult match. The first round is always difficult. When you come to the venue, the timing and the feeling and atmosphere is always a little bit different. But I came with a goal to win,” Lind said.
“Every point since the start of the match until the finish I tried my best. And yeah, 3-0, very close sets. But in the end I’m happy to be victorious.”
“Last year I was playing great and I’m also in quite good shape now. My expectation is I’m going to play good matches.”
“If I win or lose, as we will see, I’m going to do my best every match.”
“Of course, even if I play a good match, 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 matches here, same like last year.”
Aruna Calls Out Lack of Government Support
Aruna’s defeat came just weeks after he publicly criticized the Nigerian government for years of inadequate support, despite his consistent international achievements.
In a lengthy Facebook post, he recounted his 15-year journey:
“15 years ago, I arrived in Portugal to play as a professional table tennis player in the Portuguese Super League, and almost every weekend I played league matches for my club.”
“Internationally, I was playing a minimum of one tournament in a month with the support of Barrister Wahid Enitan Oshodi… this financial support from him made me improve rapidly.”
He revealed that he competed in almost all major tournaments without a coach, financing trips mostly through private sponsors.
“With zero support from Nigeria government, I played 99% of the tournaments without a coach, and I travelled most of the time alone,” he wrote.
Aruna credited former sponsors for key moments in his career, including the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he reached the quarter-finals.
“2014 World Cup in Dusseldorf, my former sponsor (Joola) supported me with a German coach called Adomeit, while Barrister Wahid Enitan Oshodi paid for my flight ticket and hotel, and the coach presence got me to quarter finals.”
“If I feature in 12 tournaments in a year, Nigeria only pay for one tournament, which is mostly an African tournament, and the rest are self-sponsored and supported by GEWO,” he said.
What’s Next for Aruna Quadri?
Aruna remains determined to bounce back stronger from this defeat as one of Africa’s most respected and decorated table tennis players, with eyes set on upcoming international events.
“This is what makes the sport exciting, every opponent brings something different. I will go back, work on my return game, and be better prepared for the next event,” he said.
