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Nigeria table tennis star, Quadri Aruna said he aims to surpass his mark at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, in which he finished in the quarter-finals.
Quadri Aruna, who is currently ranked number one in Africa and 19th in the world, will start his 2024 Olympics campaign in the second round of the event. He has this advantage because he was seeded in the 14th place in the men’s event based on the rankings released last week Tuesday.
Aruna is seen as one of Nigeria’s best chances of winning a medal at the Olympics after three failed attempts.
Hence, anything short of a semi-final finish at the South Paris Arena might be deemed another failure for the 35-year-old tennis icon, who might not have a chance to play in the next edition of the Olympics due to the age barrier.
Ahead of the Olympics campaign, Quadri Aruna told Sportsville that he is prepared for the tournament as he hoped to beat some of the best players in the game.
“Immediately after we finished in Tokyo, the preparation had already started. I’ve played in several international tournaments in different places. I can say that I am well prepared,” Aruna said.
“The goals are the same; you know, everyone wants to do well and everyone wants to win a medal, but sometimes it is not all about winning a medal. It’s about giving your best.
“Don’t forget 2016 in Rio; I was very close to winning a medal. I got to the quarterfinals, but four years later, it was not the same performance, but it is what it is. Nothing is really for sure, but this time around, I strongly believe that I will do my best.”
He added: “Against the Chinese, it’s like 60–40, and against other Asians, I can tell you that is 50–50. I have won against some Chinese players and am just yet to win against world No. 1 and world No. 2. My objective is to do much more than I did in Tokyo and get something better than I did in Rio.”
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