In the initial clashes of the Busan 2024 ITTF World Championships, African representatives encountered setbacks, with Algeria, South Africa, and Madagascar tasting defeat. Notably, Nigeria faced a walkover by Japan in both the men’s and women’s events, marking a challenging start to the prestigious tournament hosted in Busan, South Korea.
The absence of Quadri Aruna, compounded by Bode Abiodun’s delayed arrival, left Nigeria vulnerable, resulting in Japan claiming an uncontested victory in their opening match. With only two players available for competition, Nigeria finds itself in a precarious position.
Segun Toriola, lamenting Aruna’s absence, acknowledged the significant setback but remained hopeful about Nigeria’s prospects in advancing from the group stage.“I am aware that the Japanese are afraid of Aruna and their coaching crew have been worried about their formation of their team,” remarked the former African champion.
“But when the news filtered that Aruna would not be coming, they were a bit relieved that they have a bye to the next game. But we can’t give up even though it is a big blow to the team here in Korea and we will not give up hoping that we can progress from the group.”
Algerian teams faced defeats against Chile and Austria, with both the men’s and women’s contingents failing to secure victories. Similarly, Madagascar’s youthful squad succumbed to the experience of the Czech Republic, suffering a 1-2 defeat in their opening group match.
South Africa, replacing Tunisia, suffered a 3-0 loss to Iran in their debut match. Egypt is set to commence their campaign against Romania, with their female team poised to challenge the Czech Republic.
Meanwhile, defending ITTF World Championships women’s champions China narrowly avoided defeat against India, staging a comeback from a 2-1 deficit to clinch victory with a 3-2 scoreline, kick-starting their title defence in Korea.
