As the draws for the Men’s Singles table tennis event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approach, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Omar Assar stand out as parts of the 16 top seeds for this multi-sports spectacle in France.
Aruna, who made history as the first African to reach the quarterfinals of the table tennis event at the Olympic Games, currently holds the 19th world ranking, while Assar who is the second African to reach the quarterfinal is rated 22nd in the world.
The official seedings for the Games will be based on the July 16th ITTF World Rankings, revealing potential matchups that promise excitement for fans.
The two African stars will be among the top seeds, and they are expected to kick off their campaign from the second round (round of 64) of the tournament on July 28 at the South Paris Arena.
All eyes will be on Aruna and Assar, with the Nigerian making his fourth Olympic Games appearance, as he contends for a podium finish in Paris.
Egypt’s Assar, who matched Aruna’s quarterfinal record at Tokyo 2020, is another player to watch out for in Paris.
Assar joins Mohamed El-Beiali as Egypt’s representatives in the Men’s Singles. Meanwhile, Dina Meshref and Hana Goda will compete in the Women’s Singles event.
For the team event, the African champions have selected Youssef Abdel-Aziz to join Assar and El-Beiali in the men’s squad. Mariam Alhodaby will team up with Meshref and Goda for the women’s team event in Paris.
Meshref and Assar will also compete in the Mixed Doubles event, which makes its second appearance in Paris after debuting at Tokyo 2020.
Joining Aruna in the Men’s Singles event is his compatriot, Olajide Omotayo. Other African players include Mehdi Boulussa of Algeria and Ibrahima Diaw of Senegal. Madagascar’s Fabio Rakotoarimanana will create history as the first player from the island nation to compete in the table tennis event at the Olympic Games. Saheed Idowu of Congo Brazzaville secured a Tripartite Invitation to participate in Paris.
In the women’s singles, Nigeria’s duo of Offiong Edem and Fatimo Bello, along with Cameroon’s Sarah Hanffou and Algeria’s Lynda Loghraibi, complete the continent’s contingent in Paris.
The 10th Olympic appearance of table tennis promises an exciting blend of experience and youthful exuberance.
The recent heroics of the French Team, including the Men’s team’s silver medal and the Women’s team’s bronze at the ITTF World Championships Finals Busan 2024, have ignited anticipation in Paris.
The rise of young stars like the Lebrun brothers (Félix and Alexis) and Prithika Pavade has captivated the Parisian imagination. Fans eagerly await their hometown heroes’ pursuit of Olympic glory on home soil.
Beyond French flair, legendary player Ma Long of China bids farewell to the Olympics after Paris, and India makes its debut in the Team events.
A new Men’s Singles champion will emerge, while the Women’s Singles features a potential clash of titans as China’s Chen Meng defends her crown against top seed and compatriot Sun Yingsha.
Lastly, all eyes turn to Timo Boll, the iconic German player concluding his glittering 20-year career in the sport.
