Team Nigeria’s start to life in the table tennis tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics did not end on a positive note as the duo of Quadri Aruna and Omotayo Olajide were both knocked out in the Round of 64 in the men’s singles event.
Aruna, who is one of the 16 top-ranked men’s players at the Olympics, was stunned by Romanian teenager Eduard Ionescu, who defeated the Nigerian 4-3 in a spectacular comeback win on Saturday.
The 35-year-old, in his fourth straight Olympic Games, was undone by Ionescu, ranked 72nd in the world, as he saw off Aruna 8-11, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-9, and 13-11 in a playing time of 52 minutes, ensuring his unbeaten record against the reigning Africa No. 1 improves to two games.
Quadri Aruna has been ousted by Eduard Ionescu of Romania 3-4. The World No. 16 was pegged back from leading 3-0 to a tie at 3-3 in the match.
This turn of event in Table tennis today has been Unbelievable. Heartbreaking to say the least. pic.twitter.com/6sqK0qYXDA
— Latifat Adebayo-Ohio (@Phatill) July 27, 2024
Aruna, who looked in inspired form, took the first three sets in dominating fashion, placing himself within sights of a clean sweep with waves of superb table tennis display. However, the tides soon changed as the 19-year-old Ionescu came out gunsblazing in the fourth set, which he claimed and never lost another set for the duration of the game.
Elsewhere, two-time Olympian Olajide suffered the same fate as Aruna, as he was comfortably beaten 4-1 by Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan, who completed a comeback victory.
Nigeria’s table tennis player, Olajide Omotayo, lost 4-1 to his opponent, Noshad Alamiyan of Iran, in the Men’s Singles Round of 64 game at the #Paris2024 Olympics
– 1st Set: 11-6 🇳🇬 win
– 2nd Set: 5-11 🇮🇷 win
– 3rd Set: 4-11 🇮🇷 win
– 4th Set: 10-12 🇮🇷 win
– 5th Set: 8-11 🇮🇷 win pic.twitter.com/Kmz5dzQZC2— Dr. Victor Ademola (@AdemolaVictorTv) July 27, 2024
The Iranian, ranked 51st in the world, was too much to handle for the 29-year-old Nigerian, as he registered a score of 6-11, 11-5, 11-4, 12-10, 11-8 in 35 minutes of play.
Olajide’s Round of 64 exit matches his performance from his last Olympic outing, in Tokyo 2020.
