Two-time Olympian and Africa’s number one ranked table tennis player, Aruna Quadri, has expressed his desire to win medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as he turned 28 years old on Wednesday.
Quadri is currently in Lagos for the Seamaster International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Challenge Nigeria Open Championships holding at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
Quadri, seeded No.1 in the competition, told NAN he intends using the championship to improve his record and to make Nigeria proud at the upcoming Summer Olympics.
“I am grateful to Allah for the gift of this day, being my birthday, for granting me good health and for all my achievements in my career.
“I have received lots of good wishes and prayers today, but what I wish for myself is to surpass my record in these championships and essentially, to win medals in Tokyo 2020 Games,” he cheerfully said.
In the same vein, Ganiyat Aruna, wife of Quadri, told NAN that she is delighted to have the top ranked Nigerian player as a husband and wished him more success in his career.
“My husband’s birthday is one of my happy days and I usually spend more time to pray for him which I did first thing this morning.
“My wish for him is to remain successful, and I join my faith to win him medals in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which is one of his targets.”
Quadri is the first African to be ranked among the first 25 in the world by the ITTF.
No fewer than 95 male and 55 female players from 22 countries are jostling for the $46,000 prize money at stake at the competition holding from Aug. 9 to Aug. 13.
