Nigeria’s table tennis superstar, Quadri Aruna, has expressed deep frustration over what he described as years of neglect and poor treatment by the Nigerian government despite his record-breaking achievements on the global stage.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, the 36-year-old, who is currently Africa’s top-ranked player, revealed that for over 15 years he has relied largely on private sponsorships and personal sacrifices to sustain his career, with little institutional support from his home country.
Aruna recalled that since moving to Portugal to play professionally, he has had to compete in almost all international tournaments without a coach because the Nigerian government failed to provide assistance.
“With zero support from the Nigeria government, I played 99% of the tournaments without a coach and I travelled most of the time alone,” he wrote.
He cited the 2014 ITTF World Cup in Düsseldorf as a breakthrough moment, when private sponsors and Wahid Enitan Oshodi, now President of the Africa Table Tennis Federation, covered his expenses and provided coaching support that helped him reach the quarter-finals — a first for an African.
Similarly, in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, Oshodi helped secure a local sponsor, Babajebu, which enabled Aruna to prepare adequately and make history by reaching the Olympic quarter-finals.
Despite his decorated career, Aruna said government support has been minimal.
“If I feature in 12 tournaments in a year, Nigeria only pays for one tournament, which is mostly an African event. The rest are self-sponsored or supported by my sponsor, GEWO,” he lamented.
His most recent ordeal came at the 2025 World Championships in Doha, where he said he had to buy his own ticket after officials failed to act. His coach, Dotun Omoniyi, was later asked to return home mid-competition due to funding issues, forcing Aruna to hire support from Togo at his own expense.
Aruna has consistently broken barriers for African table tennis:
First African to reach the quarter-finals of the ITTF World Cup (2014).
Best-ever Olympic finish for an African in table tennis, reaching the quarter-finals at Rio 2016.
Consistently ranked among the world’s top 20, peaking at World No. 10 in 2022 — the highest ever for an African.
Multiple ITTF Africa Cup and Commonwealth medals.
Despite these achievements, Aruna said Nigeria only celebrates his success after the fact, with no sustained investment in his development or that of other athletes.
Aruna equally appealed to Nigerian authorities to shift focus towards nurturing young talents.
“It’s time. It’s very important Nigeria start to invest in the present young players to attend tournaments regularly,” he wrote, adding that his concern goes beyond personal struggles and is about the future of Nigerian table tennis.