Quadri Aruna got eliminated in the round of 64 in men’s Singles Table Tennis by Eduard Ionescu of Romania in a comeback game of 4-3 at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Aruna, who is competing at his fourth consecutive Olympic Games took charge of the first three sets, dominating in style with a sequence of 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 in what was already looking like a clean sweep until things suddenly changed.
The Romanian teenager brought the sweep to a halt by claiming the fourth set in 11-8, which led to a fifth set where he overcame the deficit made by the Nigerian to win in 12-10, forcing a sixth set. The sixth set once again went in the favour of Ionescu 11-9, bringing the game to a tie 3-3
The seventh and final set was a nerve-wracking one between the two players but at the very end, it was the Romanian who prevailed in 13-11, upsetting Aruna.
This wasn’t the first time Aruna was playing with Ionescu. Their first encounter was at the 2024 European Champions League in March where the teenager reigned supreme in a 3-2 victory.
Aruna is notable for his historic feat at the Rio 2016 Olympics where he became the first African to reach the quarterfinals.
