Quadri Aruna

Quadri Aruna
Aruna Quadri at the ITTF World Tour 2017 German Open
Personal information
Full nameQuadri Akinade Aruna
Nickname(s)Rocky Aruna or Quadri Balboa
NationalityNigerian
Born (1988-08-09) 9 August 1988 (age 36)
Oyo, Nigeria
Table tennis career
Playing styleAttacker[1]
Highest ranking10 (May 2022)[1]
Current ranking19 (March 2024)[1]
ClubFakel-Gazprom Orenburg
Medal record
Men's table tennis
Representing  Nigeria
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 2018 Gold Coast Singles
African Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Brazzaville Team
Silver medal – second place 2011 Maputo Team
Silver medal – second place 2015 Brazzaville Singles
Silver medal – second place 2019 Rabat Singles
Silver medal – second place 2019 Rabat Team
Silver medal – second place 2023 Accra Singles
Silver medal – second place 2023 Accra Team
African Championships
Gold medal – first place 2024 Addis Ababa Team

Quadri Akinade Aruna (born 9 August 1988) is a professional Nigerian table tennis player. He competed for Nigeria at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2016 Summer Olympics, and 2020 Summer Olympics, reaching the quarter-finals in 2016.[2] He is the first African player to be ranked in the top 10 in the world.

At the World Cup 2014, he reached the quarter-finals in the Men's Singles competition.[3]

In the 2017 ITTF World Challenge Bulgaria Open, he advanced to the semi-finals, where the eventual winner Dimitrij Ovtcharov defeated him in a tight match. Aruna is known for his forehand-oriented playing style, which has earned him many wins. He is a Gewo-sponsored player.

In 2014, he was ranked number 30 in world table tennis, and the International Table Tennis Federation named him the Star Player of the Year.[4][5] He was also part of the Nigerian team that won bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.[6]

At the club level, Aruna Quadri recently teamed up with TTC RhönSprudel Maberzell Fulda, a top German Bundesliga Table Tennis club.

  1. ^ a b c "Player profile". results.ittf.link. ITTF. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  2. ^ London 2012 Archived 2012-07-30 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "2014 Men's World Cup Highlights: ARUNA Quadri vs ZHANG Jike (Quarter Final)". Retrieved 22 April 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
  4. ^ "Aruna Quadri: I Feel Great Being Ranked 30 in World Table Tennis, Articles". THISDAY LIVE. 22 November 2014. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  5. ^ Tunde Eludini (8 January 2015). "Nigeria: Aruna Quadri Emerges World's Table Tennis Player of the Year". Premium Times - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  6. ^ "Glasgow 2014 - Quadri Aruna Profile". g2014results.thecgf.com. Retrieved 31 August 2017.