Aruna Quadri has qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the International Table Tennis Federation have confirmed.
The Nigerian table tennis star will be participating in the global sports fest once the NOC approves his participation.
Quadri who is Africa’s top-ranked player will be making his third appearance at the Olympics after he qualified based on his ITTF World Ranking, where he currently occupies the 20th position in the Olympics qualification ranking.
Gabor Falegyi, ITTF Competitions Director confirmed the qualification in a statement addressed to the President of the Nigeria Olympics Committee and the caretaker Chairman of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation.
“It is with great pleasure, I advise the qualification of Quadri Aruna to compete in the table tennis men’s singles event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, on the basis of World Ranking allocation according to the June 2021 ITTF Olympic Qualification Ranking,” the statement read.
Quadri will join Edem Effiong, Funke Oshonaike, and Olajide Omotayo who had all qualified for the Olympics via the African qualifying tournament that was held last year in Tunisia.
32-year-old Aruna couldn’t qualify for the quadrennial showpiece last year after suffering an injury during the tournament in Tunis.
He also missed another opportunity to qualify last month when he was knocked out in his first game by Russia’s Vladimir Sidorenko at the Singles Qualification Tournament.
Quadri’s last appearance at the Olympics saw him become the first African to reach the quarter-finals of the table tennis event during the 2016 Games in Brazil.
The NOC have until June 16 to confirm his participation at the delayed Olympics.