Nigeria’s players in the men’s table tennis event at the ongoing Olympic Games lost their matches in the first round of the competition.
Africa's number one, Quadri Aruna, lost 3-4 in his round of 64 match at the South Paris Arena to Eduard Ionescu of Romania.
Aruna’s hopes of repeating his Rio 2016 quarter-finals performance were dashed when the 20-year-old Ionescu made a thrilling Olympic debut.
Ionescu rallied back to win with a scoreline of 8-11, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-9, 13-11, despite having played a match earlier in the day.
Aruna won the first three games — 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 — only for Ionescu to turn the match around by winning the next two games — 11-8, 12-10 — and taking the match to seven games.
Ionescu then won the final two games, 11-9 and 13-11, to advance to the round of 32.
Earlier in the day, Olajide Omotayo lost 1-4 to Iranian Noshad Alamiyan.
As a result, both Nigerians are out of the men’s singles event in the competition.
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