NIGERIA’S Aruna Quadri has defended his title in the men’s singles of the 2023 ITTF African Championships after defeating Egypt’s Ahmed Saleh in the final match played on Sunday.

Aruna, who is the tournament’s number-one seed, easily waltzed past Saleh in the final clash with a convincing 4-0 win to retain the title he won last year in Algeria.

There were mixed feelings for Aruna in Tunis, having missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games ticket through injury at the same venue.

“I am happy with the title because I have a good and bad memory of Tunis, having got injured here during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualification.

“Winning another title here is good to erase the bad memory. This win will remain with me for a long time. I am happy and look forward to the next challenge,” he said.

Meanwhile, teenage sensation Hana Goda from Egypt defeated her compatriot Dina Meshref, 4-1, to win the women’s singles title in Tunis.

Goda appreciated her supporters, describing the victory as special.

“This is special, especially with the support from the Tunisian fans. I will cherish this for a long time to come,” she said.

Also, during the tournament, seven-time Olympian Funke Oshonaike, who came out of retirement, featured along with Fatimo Bello to win the gold medal for Nigeria in the women’s doubles event on Saturday.

In the final, they played against Cameroonian player Sarah Hanffou and her teammate, Egypt’s Marwa Alhodaby.

The feat made them the first Nigerians to win a gold medal in the tournament in Tunis, Tunisia.

The ITTF Africa Championship is a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Egyptians dominated all the events, securing multiple Olympic spots.