Table Tennis: Big hurdles for African stars in Durban

African players competing at the 2023 Durban ITTF World Table Tennis Championships are expected to face a Herculean task of advancing to the second round of the singles events as most of them have been handed tough draws in their first-round matches of the competition.

The tournament kicks off on Saturday May 20 at the International Convention Centre in Durban with 255 players competing in the men and women singles events.

Being the first WTTC to be staged in Africa since 1939, Africa contingent will be led by the best ranked players from the continent Quadri Aruna of Nigeria and Dina Meshref of Egypt.

Already, six African countries – host South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria and Senegal are represented at the tournament with over 255 players made up of 128 men and 127 women competing in singles events.

Aruna, Egypt’s trio of Omar Assar, Dina Meshref and Hana Goda have been listed among the top 32 seeds in men and women singles and they have been drawn against unseeded players in the first round.

Aruna Quadri against Omar Assar

Aruna’s first round tie will be against Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu while Assar who recently won the 2023 Africa Cup in Kenya will slug it out against Ecuador’s Alberto Mino in the men’s singles.

South Africa’s Theo Cogill will lead the host nation quest in the men’s singles as he faces Chinese Taipei’s Kao Cheng-Jui, while the youngest member of the South African team 18-year-old Dean Levy will confront Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw.

Algeria’s Mehdi Bolloussa tackle Papua New Guinea’s Geoffrey Loi; Egypt’s veteran Ahmed Saleh will take on Italy’s Mihai Bobocica, Khalid Assar of Egypt will battle Poland’s Maciej Kubik

2023 Africa Cup women champion 15-year-old Goda will start her campaign in the first round against South Africa’s nine-time champion Danisha Patel will be up against Japan’s Miyu Nagasaki, while host nation’s Musfiquh Kalam takes on Puerto Rico’s Melania Diaz.

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Cameroon’s Sarah Hanffou will square up against German sensation Annett Kaufmann.

Meshref will face a familiar foe in Singapore’s Zhou Jingyi.

Meanwhile, South Africa has promised a spectacular opening ceremony on Saturday May 20 as the rich culture and splendour of the Rainbow nation will be on display.