Nigerian table tennis star Quadri Aruna has lost to Egypt’s Omar Assar in the first round of the men’s singles at the ongoing 2025 Europe Smash in Sweden.
Aruna started the match with a narrow 10–12 loss in the first game, followed by a disappointing 4–11 loss in the second.
Although he bounced back to win the third and fourth games 11–3 and 11–9, it wasn’t enough to stop the Egyptian.
Both players were closely matched, but Assar showed more composure, at one point scoring eight points in a row and coming from behind twice to take control of the game.
With the win on Sunday at Malmo Arena, Assar now leads the head-to-head record against Aruna, having won four of their last five meetings.
Assar’s victory over the Nigerian player secured his place in the next round of the tournament, where he will face China’s Lin Shudong, a highly ranked opponent known for his speed and precision on the table.
After the intense match, Assar was quick to acknowledge Aruna’s skill and fighting spirit, praising the Nigerian for putting up a strong performance despite the loss.
“Of course, hard luck to Quadri. He’s a great player and he did a very good match and I wish him the best in the next tournament,” the Northern African player said.
