Nigeria’s table tennis star Quadri Aruna continued his strong start in French table tennis as Amiens STT defeated Nantes TT 3-0 to record a second consecutive victory in the Pro B League.
Aruna, who joined Amiens in May as the club strengthened its squad for a push towards the elite Pro A division, delivered the opening victory in Tuesday’s Week 2 encounter.
The Nigerian faced Andre Silva, his former teammate at Sporting Clube de Portugal, in the first match of the tie.
Silva took the opening game 11-7, but Aruna responded emphatically.
The Nigerian won the next three games 11-7, 11-8 and 11-3, completing a 3-1 comeback victory and handing Amiens the early advantage. The result and game scores were also recorded by French sports publication Gazette Sports.
Toriola Faces Cho in Nigerian-Linked Encounter
The second match added another Nigerian dimension to the fixture, with veteran Segun Toriola lining up for Nantes against South Korea’s Cho Seungmin.
Cho controlled the encounter, defeating the former African champion in straight games.
The South Korean won 11-5, 11-6 and 11-5, extending Amiens’ advantage to 2-0.
Toriola’s presence opposite an Amiens team led by Aruna added further interest to a fixture featuring two of the most recognisable names in Nigerian and African table tennis.
Monteiro Completes 3-0 Victory
Former European champion Joao Monteiro then completed the victory for Amiens.
The Portuguese player defeated Turkey’s Ibrahim Gunduz in three games, although the contest was tighter than the overall scoreline suggested.
Monteiro took the games 11-9, 12-10 and 11-7, sealing a 3-0 match victory for Amiens.
The French club conceded only one game across the entire tie.
The result followed Amiens’ 3-2 victory over Lille in its opening match, where Aruna also made a winning start to his French Pro B campaign.
Promotion Ambition Takes Shape
Amiens assembled a squad containing substantial international experience for its promotion campaign.
Alongside Aruna, the roster includes Monteiro, Austrian veteran Robert Gardos and South Korea’s Cho.
Aruna’s role is particularly significant because of his international experience and status within African table tennis.
With two victories from its opening two fixtures, Amiens has made the start it wanted as it seeks promotion.
The early results do not determine how the campaign will finish, but consecutive victories give the club useful momentum as the season develops.
For Aruna, the performances also provide an encouraging start to a new chapter in his European club career after previously competing at a high level in Portugal and Germany.
