Quadri Aruna and Dina Meshref have reclaimed the ITTF Africa Cup title by winning the 2024 edition of the tournament in the men and women singles respectively, at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
Aruna, the top seed still fresh from his exploits at the WTT Saudi Smash, was again unstoppable with a commanding win in the final against Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali.
The one-sided final saw Aruna effortlessly take down the Egyptian with a 4-0 (11-5, 11-6, 12-10, 11-3) win to emerge as the new Africa Cup champion. Aruna of Nigeria lost the title to Egypt’s Omar Assar in 2018.
“There is never an easy win in any competition, and I am happy that I gave my best and my best resulted in the victory. It has always been in me not to give up, even when I am down, and I am happy that all my hardwork paid off with the victory. I must commend Rwanda for providing excellent facilities and great hospitality for us, the players, and I look forward to returning again to this beautiful country,” the World No. 19 said following his victory.
Like Aruna, Meshref was at her best after coming back from 2-0 down to defeat her compatriot, Mariam Alhodaby, 4-3. Meshref becomes the new Africa Cup champion after losing the last two editions in the final.
A relieved Meshref described the victory as crucial, particularly as she just came back from injury. “I am happy that I was able to come back, especially coming back from an injury I sustained before the tournament. I thank my family and my mother who sacrificed to be with me in Rwanda. It was a tough win for me here in this beautiful country and I will cherish this moment for a very long time to come,” she said.
The tournament featured over 50 players from 14 countries. They would now turn their attention to the African Olympic Qualification Tournament, which begins on May 16 and ends on May 18, still at the BK Arena, Kigali, Rwanda.