Nigeria’s top table tennis star, Quadri Aruna, will battle Sweden’s Anton Kallberg on Wednesday (today) in a crucial group stage match at the 2025 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China, as he aims to break a four-match losing streak against the Swede.
Aruna is hoping to advance to the knockout rounds of the prestigious competition for the first time since 2014. His campaign began on a positive note with a 3-1 victory over Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou, despite playing through a hamstring injury.
That win set up a decisive final Group 16 clash with Kallberg, who eased past Salifou 4-0 on Tuesday to go top of the group standings.
However, history is not on Aruna’s side. The Swedish player, currently ranked 16th in the world, has won their last four encounters, including two straight-set victories in Macao. Their most recent meeting was at the China Smash in October 2024, where Kallberg won 3-1. Prior to that, in September, Aruna lost a close 3-2 battle in Macao, despite a spirited fightback.
Kallberg also defeated Aruna in straight sets at the 2022 WTT Champions Macao and claimed a dramatic 3-2 win in their seven-game duel at the 2021 WTT Contender Tunis.
Despite the odds, Aruna remains optimistic. “It’s one match at a time. I’ll take some time to relax and prepare. I’ve lost our last few matches, but I’m hoping to turn things around this time,” he said.
Kallberg, aware of the stakes, acknowledged their growing rivalry. “We’ve faced each other often, and I know what to expect. I’ll study our previous games and prepare well,” he said.
Elsewhere in the tournament, African hopes remain alive through Egypt’s representatives. Rising star Hana Goda will face Austria’s Sofia Polcanova, while veteran Dina Meshref takes on China’s Man Kuai. In the men’s draw, Omar Assar made a strong start with a dominant 4-0 win over Cameroon’s Ylane Batix and will now face South Korea’s An Jaehyun in a must-win match.
“There are no easy matches here,” Assar said. “I’ll stick to my routine and fight for every point.”
Meanwhile, the competition has ended for Egypt’s Mariam Alhodaby and Mohamed El-Beiali, as well as Salifou and Batix, who all suffered their second group-stage defeats on Tuesday.
