By Amaechi Agbo

Africa champion, Aruna Quadri has Exited the table tennis event at the on-going 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Saturday.

Quadri’s quest for Olympic gold came to an abrupt end in the men’s singles table tennis as the Nigerian player was defeated by Romania’s Eduard Ionescu with a score of 4-3 in a dramatic comeback.

Aruna, competing in his fourth consecutive Olympic Games, initially dominated the match, winning the first three sets 11-8, 11-9, and 11-6.

However, Ionescu, the Romanian teenager, began his comeback by winning the fourth set 11-8. He continued his resurgence by claiming the fifth set 12-10, forcing a sixth set, which he won 11-9, leveling the score at 3-3.

The final set was a tense battle, but Ionescu emerged victorious with a 13-11 win, eliminating Aruna from the competition. This match echoed their previous encounter at the 2024 European Champions League, where Ionescu also prevailed 3-2.

Ranked 16th in the world, Aruna’s performance at Paris 2024 marks a disappointing turn after his historic run to the quarterfinals at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where he became the first African to achieve that feat.