NSC Hails Aruna Family After Junior’s Luxembourg Feat

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has heaped praise on the Quadri Aruna family after young Junior Aruna’s impressive medal haul at the recent WTT Youth Contender in Luxembourg.

Competing in two age categories, the 10-year-old table tennis prodigy secured bronze in the boys’ U-13 event and silver in the U-11 category.

His path to bronze in the U-13 draw was a test of resilience. Despite losing his opener 3-0 to Italy’s Mattia Somaini, Junior bounced back with a 3-2 thriller over Lorenzo Armani and a 3-0 sweep of Aaron Xia to advance from the group stage.

He then dominated Poland’s Antoni Zając 3-0 in the round of 16 and overcame Bulgaria’s Dan Zhelyazkov 3-1 in the quarter-finals. His run ended in the semis against French rising star Sacha Douaran, but the bronze signaled his emergence as a talent to watch.

In the U-11 competition on April 11, he went a step further. After navigating the group stage, he produced a gritty 3-2 semifinal win over Luxembourg’s Noah Wolter to reach the final. Facing Zhelyazkov again, Junior fought hard, dropping a tight first game 15-13 before falling 11-8, 11-8 to claim silver.

NSC Director General Bukola Olopade took to X to celebrate the young athlete. “I am proud to celebrate 10-year-old Junior Quadri for his outstanding performance at the World Table Tennis Youth Tournament in Luxembourg, where he won silver in the U-11 and bronze in the U-13,” he wrote.

“This achievement reflects not just his talent, but the strong foundation laid by his father, Quadri Aruna, and his mother, Ganiat, whose dedication as a coach is clearly yielding results.

“The National Sports Commission remains proud of this family and fully committed to supporting the development of young talents like Junior Quadri. The future of Nigerian sports is bright.”

Junior is coached by his mother, Ganiat Aruna, who also trains his siblings, Mariam and Amirah. In January 2025, all three children reached the podium at the João Monteiro Table Tennis Tournament in Portugal.