​Champions League will get me ready for World Cup – Aruna Quadri

Nigeria’s table tennis superstar, Aruna Quadri, says his participation in the European Champions League will prepare him for this year’s ITTF Men’s World Cup.

Aruna said this much during the recently-concluded ITTF Challenge Nigeria Open, where he emerged champion of the Men’s Singles event after beating France’s Antoine Hachard in the final on Sunday.

The Nigerian had already lost the sole ticket the tournament to rival Egypt’s Omar Assar earlier in the year at the Top 16 Africa Cup in Kenya, but was recently given a nod by the International Table Tennis Federation to take part.

The Men’s World Cup is slated to hold in Paris, France between October 19 and 21 – a month after the European Champions League must have kicked off.

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Aruna, who will be playing with his club Sporting of Portugal at the league, says it will get him ready forthe World Cup.

“Immediately after this tournament (Nigeria Open), I’m going to be taking some rest, because I’ve been travelling a lot recently. I think I deserve some holidays,” he said during a media chat at the conference room of the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

“The next tournament for me is going to be [the ETTU] Champions League with my club. Immediately after the Champions League, then it will be World Cup.

“So I think the Champions League will get me ready for the World Cup. And I am praying to have a very good draw at the World Cup,” he stated.

In 2014, Aruna reached the quarter finals of the World Cup.

 

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