Quadri, Assar, Olah confirm participation at Nigeria Open World Tour

Men’s Singles defending champion of the Nigeria Open Challenge, Finland’s Benedek Olah, is among past winners of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour event billed to participate in this year’s competition at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos between August 9 and 13.

Other winners of the World Tour, who have confirmed their participation in the five-day $46,000 prize money championship include Nigeria Open Men’s Singles three-time winner, Egypt’s Omar Assar, women singles’ defending champion, Portugal’s Shao Jieni and last year’s Belgium Open champion, India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran

Africa’s current champion and the continent’s representative in the men’s singles at this year’s forthcoming World Cup, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has also indicated his intention to be part of this year’s edition.

Both Quadri and Assar were absent from the last edition due to club engagements.

Gnanasekaran, who will be leading a strong Indian delegation to the championship, was the second Indian to have won the ITTF World Tour. The team is expected to enjoy support from the Indian community that will throng the stadium.

Also confirming his participation for the tournament is the 2009 mixed doubles world champion, Qatar’s Li Ping. The 42nd world ranked Chinese-born Qatari player will also be competing in the men’s singles.