The WTT Contender Lagos is the first WTT Contender Series in Sub-Saharan Africa taking place in Lagos, Nigeria on June 19 to 23.
World No.6 Hugo Calderano has sent a clear message African table tennis giant Quadri Aruna, ahead of the WTT Contender Lagos
Calderano, a confirmed participant in the second edition of the WTT Contender Lagos,ready to make a name at the championship after he silenced the doubters by dismantling 6th seed An Jaehyun of South Korea in a decisive 4-0 sweep (11-7, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6) in his home country.
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The victory marks a sweet redemption for Calderano as he suffered a disappointing first-round exit at the 2023 edition of the Rio event. This year he dominated the competition, leaving no question about his current form.
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The development comes just weeks after Aruna secured victory at the ITTF Africa Cup in Rwanda.
In 2024, atonement was achieved as Calderano took his sixth WTT Series title, his first this season, in emphatic fashion.
"I feel amazing. It's an amazing atmosphere here, playing here at home. I'm very happy to have won this title here. It was very important to me to win in front of my whole family and a lot of fans from Brazil. I'm delighted to win the trophy,” said Calderano.
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Aruna effortlessly took down Mohamed El-Beiali with a 4-0 (11-5, 11-6, 12-10, 11-3) win to emerge as the new Africa Cup champion after losing the title to Egypt’s Omar Assar in 2018.
Calderano was in sizzling form, dropping just one game on his way to the title this week. The dazzling play by the Rio locals was driven by the fans in yellow and green in the crowd. From the stands, there were cheers for every point as the bleachers sounded their trumpets and beat their drums. It was a victory that was homegrown in every sense of the word.
"Sport is never easy, but it's all worth it when you have moments like this. It was a great, great atmosphere here, so thank you very much to everyone that supported me in the venue and also at home. Thank you all very much,” the Brazilian star added.
The WTT Contender Lagos is the first WTT Contender Series in Sub-Saharan Africa taking place in Lagos, Nigeria on June 19 to 23.