Aruna Leads African Stars to Winning Start in French Pro B League

Nigeria’s table tennis star Quadri Aruna made an impressive start to his French Pro B League campaign on Tuesday, helping Amiens STT secure victory on an opening night that saw several African players make their mark.

Making his debut for Amiens, Aruna played a key role in the club’s 3-2 victory over Lille Metropole TT before continuing his winning run with a 3-1 triumph over Iran’s Hossein Hodaei.

The Nigerian joined Amiens in May and is expected to play a central role in the club’s bid to secure promotion to France’s top division.

Amiens’ victory placed the club third in the early standings after the opening round, giving Aruna and his teammates an encouraging start to their promotion campaign.

Algerian international Mehdi Bouloussa also enjoyed a successful opening night, helping Courbevoie STT edge Compiégnois TT 3-2.

In Nantes, Nigerian table tennis legend Segun Toriola combined his player-coach responsibilities with action at the table as Nantes defeated Frejus AMSL 3-1.

Toriola featured alongside Egyptian youngster Youssef Abdelaziz and Greek veteran Panagiotis Gionis as Nantes began their campaign with a convincing victory.

Fellow Nigerians Olajide Omotayo and Taiwo Mati were also part of a winning Le Havre ATT side, although neither player featured in the club’s 3-1 victory over Boulogne Billancourt AC.

Algeria’s Stephane Ouaiche was another African player to enjoy a strong opening night, guiding Caen TTC to a 3-0 victory over Miramas AS. The result sent Caen to the top of the standings after the first round.

However, it was a difficult night for Ouaiche’s compatriot Maheidine Bella, whose Proville ASL suffered a 3-1 defeat to Pontoise-Cergy AS. Bella’s team managed to claim only one point from the encounter.

Benin Republic’s Salifou Abdel-Kader was not included in Compiégnois TT’s lineup as his side fell to a 3-0 defeat against Bouloussa’s Courbevoie.

For Aruna and Amiens, attention now turns to their next fixture on Tuesday, September 29, when they travel to face Toriola’s Nantes.

The encounter will provide another opportunity for the Nigerian stars to go head-to-head as they continue their respective campaigns in the French Pro B League.