Aruna Quadri shocks 5th seed Chuang to qualify for Round 4

[lukemana]

But he has done VERY WELL.

I think he has emerged. I wonder what Lukemana thinks about all of this, but Quadri I believe has improved...this is just the beginning.

Maybe he can medal in 2020. Born in 1988 he's not really that old.

I didn't see the game against Ma Long. I will watch it later on FaceBook since Funke Oshonaike has been doing a good job recording and posting all TT games.

I did see the game against Chuang and Tim Boll. Has Quadri improved? Big YES!!! Table Tennis is at another level now where counter loops are executed very close to the table and I saw Quadri doing a lot of that. Something he still needs to work on is his footwork. He looses balance each time he attacks and I think it is the result of his hand going too high each time. Very little, if not un-existing attack from his backhand; that is another advantage to the opponent.

However let's admit that he has set a new record. He is the only African who has ever reached the quarter finals at the Olympics. Along the way, he defeated the 5th and 14th seeds.

The legendary Mansah Atanda Musa experienced similar feat in 1984 (reaching the quarter finals) but that was during the ITTF World Cup in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

But again, I am proud of the boy. He definitely brought Nigeria's Table Tennis to another level. Here is the danger: what other GOOD PLAYER do we have now beside Quadri? Toriola is old and cannot pull the trigger anymore. We all have our eyes fixed on Quadri. Who will support him during the next African Games ?

Cheers!!!

Whenever you have success you have a program. Ma Long was coached by an Olympic Champion. China clearly has a very good structure, one that other countries even borrow from (In terms of training, coaching and even players). Aruna himself was training in China in 2015.

So I think that Aruna has amassed a wealth of experience, we have to make him the poster boy of TT, that in itself will encourage others to want to do better and also we need to create a structure, where the likes of Aruna and Toriola can pass on their knowledge to protoges. Similar to what the Jamaicans have established with track and field, as the established runners and the new crop all train together.

But knowledge definitely must not go to waste. The Chinese are not great because they are inherently special, they simply make the best of their knowledge.

You have said it all. Very well stated!

We however did have a structure to some extent. The likes of Babatunde Obisanya and Olasunbo Dele (Malawi) benefited from the experience of Solomon Bamgbade, Waidi Dawodu, Phillip Santos, late Lassey Williams, the Krotoun Brothers etc... Then came the generation of Latif Sumola, Kasali Lassissi, Fatayi Ayinde who passed the torch to the likes of Abbas Ekun, Sunday Eboh, Atanda Musa, Sir Yomi Bankole (RIP) and so on...The structure we had in place crumbled due to lack of sponsors and Egypt quickly capitalized on it and took over.

If there is no government and/or private sponsors on the horizon willing to promote this thing, nothing tangible can be achieved!

Just my 2 cents.

Cheers!!!

[lukemana]

But he has done VERY WELL.

I think he has emerged. I wonder what Lukemana thinks about all of this, but Quadri I believe has improved...this is just the beginning.

Maybe he can medal in 2020. Born in 1988 he's not really that old.

I didn't see the game against Ma Long. I will watch it later on FaceBook since Funke Oshonaike has been doing a good job recording and posting all TT games.

I did see the game against Chuang and Tim Boll. Has Quadri improved? Big YES!!! Table Tennis is at another level now where counter loops are executed very close to the table and I saw Quadri doing a lot of that. Something he still needs to work on is his footwork. He looses balance each time he attacks and I think it is the result of his hand going too high each time. Very little, if not un-existing attack from his backhand; that is another advantage to the opponent.

However let's admit that he has set a new record. He is the only African who has ever reached the quarter finals at the Olympics. Along the way, he defeated the 5th and 14th seeds.

The legendary Mansah Atanda Musa experienced similar feat in 1984 (reaching the quarter finals) but that was during the ITTF World Cup in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

But again, I am proud of the boy. He definitely brought Nigeria's Table Tennis to another level. Here is the danger: what other GOOD PLAYER do we have now beside Quadri? Toriola is old and cannot pull the trigger anymore. We all have our eyes fixed on Quadri. Who will support him during the next African Games ?

Cheers!!!

To answer your question, I have been following the table tennis in Nigeria in the last 4 years when Aruna emerged, ( after London 2012) . Table tennis at some point was virtually dead until the former commissioner under Fashola Enitan waheed Oshodi became the NTTF chairman. Oshodi resuscitated the federation and brought back the competition culture again. ITTF the table tennis international body even have one of their competitions hosted in Lagos. A lot of new players are coming up now but like most federation, their greatest shortcoming is funds.. I remember Aruna Quadri paying his way to Dubai last year for the World cup.

Good! We are on the way!!!
Cheers!