Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s rising star Hana Goda advance directly to the last‑32 at the $300K tournament in Slovenia, seeking to add ranking points and prize money to their season
Ljubljana, Slovenia – June 20, 2025 – Africa’s finest in world table tennis, Quadri Aruna of Nigeria and Egypt’s teenage sensation Hana Goda, are poised for action at the opening of the 2025 WTT Star Contender event in Ljubljana. With a total prize purse of $300,000 and critical ITTF World Ranking points on the line, both players have begun in style, earning byes into the second round of singles competition .
Aruna, currently ranked 24th globally and the highest‑ranked African man, carries the 14th seed and will face the winner of the match featuring Japan’s Shunsuke Togami and China’s Xu Haidong . Meanwhile, Goda, seeded 15th in the women’s draw, awaits the victor between Japan’s Sakura Yokoi and South Korea’s Joo Cheonhui in the round of 32 .
Held at the iconic Hala Tivoli, this five‑category contest brings elite stars from across the globe. Singles champions stand to earn $17,000 and 600 ranking points, while doubles winners grab $5,500 and the equivalent points . Joining Aruna and Goda in this star‑filled lineup are luminaries such as Hugo Calderano, Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, Slovakia’s Darko Jorgic, and last year’s women’s champ, Japan’s Hina Hayata .
The five-day showdown promises thrilling exchanges, as African representatives seek to make deep runs and elevate their global status on the
WTT circuit.
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