Top seed Omar Assar has emerged African champion after beating Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri in the final of the 2018 ITTF African Cup in Nairobi, Kenya.
Quadri came from 1-3 to tie the game which Assar won the last set 11-8 in thrilling seven games (12-10, 11-8, 3-11, 13-11, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8). Assar avenge his loss to Aruna at the 2017 ITTF African Cup in Agadir.
On his way to the final, Assar defeated Congo’s Saheed Idowu in a three straight games while Quadri beat another Egyptian, Ahmed Saleh in the semi-final for the final battle royale with Assar.
In the third place match, Idowu beat Assar’s countryman, Saleh to give Congo a bronze medal.
Meanwhile, Dina Meshref of Egypt won the female category, defeating Sarah Hanffou of Cameroon who dumped Nigeria’s Funke Oshonaike in the quarter finals while Nigeria’s Edem Offiong won the bronze.
Meshref defeated Cameroon’s Sarah Hanffou (11-2, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8) to emerge champion in the women’s category. The Egyptian has now qualified for the Women’s World Cup scheduled to take place in Chengdu, China in September.
Photo credit: ittf.com
