Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has withdrawn from the men’s singles event at the ongoing 2024 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Championships in Addis Ababa due to a thigh injury and fatigue.
Although he helped secure a gold medal for Nigeria in the team event against Algeria on October 14, Aruna had to forfeit his second-round match against Dodji Fanny from Benin Republic.
“I have been playing in various tournaments for the past two months, often in different time zones.
“I was in India, Macau, China, and then Saudi Arabia for league matches. After a brief rest at home, I went to the French League for a training camp.
”Immediately after, I travelled to Ethiopia, which was exhausting. The high altitude in Addis Ababa made it even harder to acclimatize.” Aruna said in a statement issued on Thursday in Addis Ababa.
He added, “During the team event, I felt pain in my buttock and tightness in my hamstring. It is crucial to rest now to avoid worsening the injury.”
With several tournaments still ahead this year, including two more WTT Championships and leagues in Saudi Arabia and France, Aruna stressed the importance of recovery.
“I need to rest to ensure I don’t aggravate the injury,” he said.
Aruna will remain with the team to support the younger players and will leave Addis Ababa with them this weekend.
(NAN)