Nigeria’s table tennis star Quadri Aruna has been selected as a replacement for German star Dimitrij Ovtcharov at the maiden WTT Contender Chennai in India.
Tournament Details
The WTT Contender Chennai, which has a prize purse of $270,000, will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, India, from March 25 to 30. This event marks the fifth WTT event of the year and the first staging of the series in the city.
Strong Competition
Aruna will face stiff competition from nine other players in the men’s singles, including his African rival, Egypt’s Omar Assar. Other confirmed players include Denmark’s Jonathan Groth, Hugo Calderano of Brazil, and world number four Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan.
Aruna’s Recent Performance
The 36-year-old has participated in two WTT events this year. In January, he reached the semi-finals in the WTT Star Contender in Doha, where he lost to Tomokazu Harimoto. Last Wednesday, he crashed out of the WTT Champions Chongqing 2025 after suffering a 3-0 defeat to world number two Wang Chuqin of China.
High Expectations
Aruna is expected to deliver a strong performance in India, with the world body tipping him to shine. “Stay tuned. There’s more to come from Quadri Aruna in India,” WTT captioned Aruna’s video on Monday.
WTT Executive Director’s Comments
WTT Executive Director of Events Mounir Bessah stated that the competition is a bold step forward, expecting Aruna and other players to deliver a memorable spectacle. “Chennai’s inclusion in the WTT Series calendar underscores our mission to expand the reach of table tennis globally while honouring the sport’s passionate fanbase in India.”