Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Dina Meshref shall be aiming to retain their titles on the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, which takes place in Tunis, Tunisia, from 25 to 27 February.
Aside from the trophies, gamers may even compete for qualification spots on the 2025 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China, scheduled for April.
As the primary main occasion on the ITTF Africa calendar, the match is predicted to be extremely aggressive, with a few of the greatest gamers from throughout the continent arriving in Tunisia. The highest 4 gamers in each the lads’s and girls’s classes will safe computerized qualification for the ITTF World Cup.
The competitors shall be held on the El-Menzah Sports Palace, a venue with a capability of 5,500 spectators. Gamers will compete for a complete prize pool of $25,000 over the three-day occasion.
Fierce Rivalry Between Aruna and Assar
Aruna, a five-time winner of the match (2024, 2017, 2016, 2014, and 2009), will proceed his long-standing rivalry with Egypt’s Omar Assar, who has additionally received the title 5 occasions (2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, and 2015). Nevertheless, Aruna has reached extra finals than his Egyptian counterpart.
Different robust contenders embrace Benin’s Abdel-Kabir Salifou, Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu, and Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, who shall be seeking to upset the favourites.
Robust Competitors within the Ladies’s Occasion
Within the ladies’s class, nine-time champion Dina Meshref will defend her title towards Egypt’s rising star Hana Goda, who’s at the moment ranked as Africa’s primary feminine participant. Additionally in competition is Mariam Alhodaby, the 2024 runner-up.
Organisers Promise Thrilling Event
Tunisia Desk Tennis Federation President, Lotfi Guerfel, assured that every one needed preparations have been made to host a profitable occasion.
“Now we have organised a number of main competitions earlier than, and we at all times work on enhancing based mostly on previous experiences. Each element, from logistics to reside streaming, has been fastidiously deliberate,” he mentioned.
ITTF Africa President, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, highlighted the match’s significance in creating African desk tennis.
“The extent of desk tennis in Africa has grown considerably in recent times. This competitors offers a possibility for each established and upcoming gamers to showcase their expertise,” Oshodi acknowledged.
The 2025 ITTF Africa Cup will start with preliminary matches on the primary day, adopted by knockout rounds over the subsequent two days. The semi-finalists will routinely qualify for the ITTF Singles World Cup in Macao, China, going down from 14 to twenty April 2025.