Meshref, Goda, Aruna in bright start at 2025 ITTF World Cup
Africa’s table tennis stars Dina Meshref, Hana Goda, and Quadri Aruna made a strong start at the 2025 ITTF World Cup, securing impressive victories in their group stage matches at the Galaxy Arena in Macao, China.
Meshref, the Egyptian legend triumphed over Singapore’s Zhu Chengzhu with a 3-1 (11-9, 11-9, 11-5, 6-11) win, marking her 8th appearance at the World Cup.
Goda, the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup champion, dominated local favorite Seak Hui Li, winning 4-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8) without breaking a sweat.
In a thrilling rematch of their ITTF African Cup encounter, Aruna defeated Benin’s Abdel-Kader Salifou 3-1 (11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8). Despite trailing in the second and fourth games, Aruna held his nerve to secure the win.
Aruna reflected on his performance, saying, “A first match in such events is always difficult, and I am happy that I managed to remain calm. Getting a 2-0 lead gave me some confidence. He did come back in the third and fourth games, but I managed to hold on for the win. I am really happy and satisfied with my performance.”
Salifou, gracious in defeat, commented, “Congratulations to Aruna for a good win. This is only my second competition since I started representing Benin, and I am playing in the international circuit after a gap of 5 years, so I think that showed a bit. I had chances to get a draw and was leading 8-6 in the fourth game, but credit to Aruna for coming back well. I will keep trying my best and focus on the next match now.”
But there were tough losses for other Africans in the tournament as Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali faced a tough opponent in Chinese prodigy Huang Youzheng, losing 4-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-2, 11-8). The match featured the tournament’s first-ever Table Tennis Review (TTR), which upheld a foul call against El-Beiali.
Cameroon’s Ylane Batix showcased his skills but ultimately fell 4-0 to South Korea’s An Jaehyun.
Despite a spirited performance, Egypt’s Mariam Alhodaby was defeated 4-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-7, 11-2) by Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem in an entertaining match that drew enthusiastic reactions from the crowd.
The tournament continues with over 96 players competing for the top prize, promising more exciting matches ahead.
