Heavyweights in continental table tennis – Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, Egypt’s trio of Omar Assar, Dina Meshref and Hana Goda have all booked their spots in the quarterfinal stage of the singles event of the 13th African Games taking place in Accra, Ghana.
Number one seed and two-time silver medalist Aruna had to work hard to progress after a hard-fought 3-0 win over Algeria’s Stephane Quaiche in an entertaining cum explosive last 16 match of the tournament.
2015 champion Assar of Egypt wasted no time in dismissing Algeria’s Sami Kherouf 3-0.
Also, men’s singles defending champion Olajide Omotayo of Nigeria was ahead of Tunisia’s Kalil Sta with a commanding 3-0 win.
Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu ended the dream of Tunisian teenage sensation Wassim Essid with a 3-0 win while Egypt’s Mohammed El-Beiali also Algeria’s Maheidine Bella 3-0 to hit the last eight.
Khaled Assar of Egypt also joined the league of top players in the last eight with a dominating 3-0 win Tunisia’s Youssed Ben Attia, while Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw edged out bespectacled Mohammed Shouman 3-1 to qualify for the last eight of the men’s singles.
The women’s singles quarterfinal was dominated by Egypt as Meshref, Yousra Helmy, Hana Goda and Mariam Alhodaby picked their places in the last eight.
Nigeria’s only surviving player Offiong Edem beat Mariam Alhodaby 3-0 while Esther Oribamise fell 3-1 to Cameroon’s Sarah Hanffou. Algeria’s Lucie Mobarek and Lynda Loghraibi also sailed through to the quarterfinal.
For the semifinal pairing, Aruna will slug it out with Youssef Abdelaziz who struggled to beat Mehdi Bouloussa of Algeria 3-2, while Omotayo will take on Assar, while Diaw will face Idowu. It will be an Egyptian affair when El-Beiali tackles Khaled Assar.
For the women’s semifinal clashes, Meshref will take on Sarah Hanffou, Edem battles Mariam Alhodaby, Yousra Helmy slug it out with Loghraibi while Mobarek will face African champion Hana Goda.
The semifinal and finals will take place on Tuesday, March 5 at the Accra International Conference Centre.