Quadri Aruna to compete in WTT Contender Chennai after receiving late call-up

Nigerian table tennis star Quadri Aruna has been handed a late call-up to compete in the maiden WTT Contender Chennai in India, replacing German star Dimitrij Ovtcharov.

The event, which boasts a $270,000 prize purse, will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, India, from March 25 to 30.

Aruna, ranked 19th in the world, will face stiff competition in the men's singles, with notable players including Egypt's Omar Assar, Denmark's Jonathan Groth, Brazil's Hugo Calderano, and Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto.

Aruna will be seeking to put in a strong performance in India, with the World Table Tennis (WTT) body tipping him to shine.

"Stay tuned. There's more to come from Quadri Aruna in India," WTT captioned Aruna's video on Monday, announcing his participation.

WTT Executive Director of Events Mounir Bessah expressed excitement about the event, stating, "Chennai's inclusion in the WTT Series calendar underscores our mission to expand the reach of table tennis globally while honouring the sport's passionate fanbase in India."

The 36-year-old Nigerian has already competed in two WTT events this year, reaching the semi-finals in Doha and suffering a round-of-32 defeat in Chongqing.