Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Hana Goda Bow Out in Round of 32 Amid Strong Opposition from Top Seeds.

Quadri Aruna WTT Champions Doha

The WTT Champions Doha 2026 got off to a challenging start for African table tennis representatives, with Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Hana Goda both suffering early exits in the singles event at the prestigious $500,000 tournament held at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.

In the round of 32 on Thursday, January 8, Aruna faced sixth seed Liang Jingkun of China in a one-sided encounter. The Chinese star dominated with a convincing 3-0 victory, showcasing his superior consistency and power against the experienced Nigerian.

Despite the defeat, Aruna displayed flashes of his signature explosive play, indicating he’s gradually finding his rhythm in the new season following his absence from the 2025 WTT Cup Finals.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s rising star Hana Goda delivered a valiant performance against former world No. 1 Zhu Yuling, who enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign highlighted by her United States Smash triumph. Goda lost the opening game 11-8 but bounced back impressively to take the second 11-5.

The third and fourth games featured intense, extended rallies and high-level precision. Goda came agonizingly close in the third, falling 15-13, before Yuling sealed the fourth 12-10 to clinch a 3-1 win.

Goda continues to make history as the only African player to reach the women’s singles quarter-finals at WTT Champions level—achieving the feat at Montpellier 2024 and Frankfurt 2025—proving her growing status on the global stage.

Egypt’s Omar Assar was the first African casualty, falling 3-1 to Japan’s Shunsuke Togami on Wednesday, January 7.

With the singles action now concluded for these players, African hopes shift to the upcoming WTT Star Contender Doha 2026 from January 13-18 at the same venue. Aruna, Assar, Goda, and other top African talents are expected to compete, promising another exciting showcase of continental talent on the world stage.

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