Aruna, Goda resume action at WTT Star Contender
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Hana Goda will resume action among the elite players at the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025, taking place in Slovenia. Aruna, currently ranked 24th in the world and the highest-ranked African player, is seeded No. 14 in the men’s singles and has received a bye into the second round (last […]
The poster-boy of Nigerian table tennis, Quadri Aruna, set to defend his crown at the 2025 ITTF African Cup in Tunis
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Hana Goda will resume action among the elite players at the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025, taking place in Slovenia.
Aruna, currently ranked 24th in the world and the highest-ranked African player, is seeded No. 14 in the men’s singles and has received a bye into the second round (last 32).
He will face the winner between Japan’s Shunsuke Togami and China’s Xu Haidong today in the Men’s Singles category.
Similarly, Goda, seeded No. 15 in the women’s singles, also received a bye into the second round. She is set to face the winner between Japan’s Sakura Yokoi and South Korea’s Joo Cheonhui.
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The WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025 boasts a prize pool of $300,000 and offers valuable ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking points.
The singles champions will receive $17,000 and 600 points, while the doubles champions will take home $5,500 and 600 points.
This highly anticipated event, hosted at Hala Tivoli in Ljubljana, has attracted a star-studded lineup of table tennis greats.
Leading the charge in the men’s singles is Brazilian star and 2025 World Championships runner-up, Hugo Calderano.
Known as the “Thrill from Brazil,” Calderano returns to Slovenia with bold ambition, looking to defend his title from last year’s triumph.
Joining him are global heavyweights including Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, winner of the Men’s Singles title at WTT Star Contender Doha 2025; Felix Lebrun, champion at WTT Champions Montpellier 2024; and Slovenian home favourite Darko Jorgic.
In the women’s singles, Japan’s Miwa Harimoto headlines the field after claiming the title at WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025. Her compatriot Hina Hayata is also back to defend her title from last year’s Ljubljana tournament.
Other strong contenders include South Korea’s Shin Yubin, seeking her first WTT Star Contender title, as well as Romania’s Bernadette Szocs and China’s Qian Tianyi, both of whom are expected to make deep runs in the competition.