Quadri Aruna Faces Tough Draw at ITTF World Cup 2026

Quadri Aruna is set to compete in the 2026 ITTF World Cup, taking place in Macao, China, from March 30 to April 5. This year's tournament marks the centenary of the International Table Tennis Federation and features 48 men’s and 48 women’s singles players vying for the prestigious Evan Hammarlund Cup.

Aruna, who made history by becoming the first African to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 2014 in Düsseldorf, Germany, will begin his campaign in Group 6 against Croatia's Tomislav Pucar. He is also joined in the group by Japan's Sora Matsushima.

Other notable African competitors include Egyptian champion Omar Assar, who is in Group 5, and Hana Goda, the African women's champion, who aims to surpass her last 16 finish from 2025. The tournament introduces a new format where group matches will be played as best-of-five games, allowing little room for error, with group winners advancing to the knockout stage.