Paris 2024: Aruna, Assar Get Tricky Draws in First-round of Men’s Singles
African superstars Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Omar Assar have been handed tricky draws in the first round of Men’s Singles in the table tennis competition of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.
The draw conducted on Wednesday, July 24 at the South Paris Arena and witnessed by coaches and team managers also handed Africa’s flagbearers Egypt a big hurdle in the team and mixed doubles events.
Aruna has been handed a familiar foe in Romania’s Eduard Ionescu while his compatriot. Olajide Omotayo has a tough duel against Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan in the first round of Men’s Singles in the table tennis competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
It was a mixed fortune for other African stars at the draws as Egypt’s Omar Assar will face Madagascar’s debutant Fabio Rakotoarimanana. At the same time, Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa will take on Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar.
Nigeria-born Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu will square up against Sweden’s Anton Kallberg, while the only African starting his campaign from the preliminary round of the Men’s Singles is Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw who will take on Nepal’s Santoo Shrestha.
Like Omotayo, Offiong Edem will lock horns against Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi. At the same time, debutant Fatimo Bello will face a Herculean task against the Chinese-born French star Jia Nana Yuan in the first round of the Women’s Singles.
