By IDNN Table Tennis Special Report
Nigeria’s table tennis maestro Quadri Aruna is set to headline Africa’s campaign at the 2025 WTT Star Contender Ljubljana in Slovenia — one of the most prestigious events on the ITTF World Table Tennis calendar.
The tournament, which begins Friday, June 20, boasts a prize pool of $300,000, attracting a blend of global giants and rising talents to the iconic Hala Tivoli Arena in the Slovenian capital.
Currently ranked 24th in the ITTF Men’s World Rankings, Aruna received an automatic bye into the Round of 32, where he will face either Japan’s Shunsuke Togami or China’s Xu Haidong.
Africa’s Finest in the Spotlight
Joining Aruna in flying the African flag is Egypt’s Hana Goda, the teenage sensation ranked 15th in the women’s singles. Goda also earned a Round of 32 slot and will square off with either Japan’s Sakura Yokoi or South Korea’s Joo Cheonhui.
With 600 ITTF ranking points and $17,000 at stake for the singles champions, both stars are looking to break barriers and make deep runs in a competition stacked with elite talent.
Who’s Who in Slovenia?
The men’s draw is headlined by:
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Hugo Calderano (Brazil) – 2025 World Championships silver medallist
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Tomokazu Harimoto (Japan) – WTT Star Contender Doha 2025 winner
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Felix Lebrun (France) – 2024 WTT Champions Montpellier titleholder
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Darko Jorgic (Slovenia) – home crowd favorite
In the women’s bracket, all eyes are on:
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Miwa Harimoto (Japan) – reigning Chennai champion
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Hina Hayata (Japan) – defending Ljubljana queen
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Shin Yubin (South Korea), Bernadette Szocs (Romania), and Qian Tianyi (China)
Aruna’s Quest
For Aruna, this tournament represents more than just prize money — it’s an opportunity to consolidate his world ranking, gather critical points ahead of Olympic qualification windows, and fly Nigeria’s flag on a stage dominated by Asian and European giants.
