ITTF African Championships: I have to settle old scores with Quadri—Egyptian Assar

Egyptian Omar Assar has said the 2016 ITTF African Senior Championship scheduled to begin in Morocco next week serves as an avenue to settle old scores with his arch-rival, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri.

Assar said his clash with Africa’s most rated player in the world, Quadri (25th), will be a fight to the finish in Morocco.

“I must admit that Aruna Quadri has played in top level recently in the French league and international events, so it will be interesting to see our match in Morocco especially in the men’s singles. “I expect a good start with my team-mates in team event first, then in singles I am very hungry to display a very good performance,” Assar rated 57th in the world told ITTFAfrica.com.

Also, the defeat Egypt suffered at the hands of Nigeria in the final of the men’s team event of the 2015 All Africa Games also gives Assar sleepless nights.

He believes his team-mates would rise up to the occasion this time in Morocco.

I look forward to the classic final between Egypt and Nigeria, which has always been very fun to play and to watch as well for the spectators.”

“I have been preparing very well for this event and I am looking forward to a great performance. I had two weeks of physical, mental and technical preparation in Germany where I had my last training camp so I can say I am waiting for my good performance in Morocco,” he stated.

Quadri, it will be recalled, became the first African to play in the quarter-final of the Olympics.

The 2014 ITTF Star Player of the Year had defeated world’s number seven, Chinese Taipei’s Chang Chun-Yuan as world’s no 13th Timo Boll of Germany at the just-concluded Rio 2016 Olympics before he lost to world’s number one, China’s Ma Long in the quarter-final.