Nigeria’s emerging table tennis talent, Junior Aruna, has added another achievement to his growing résumé after finishing second at the WTT Youth Contender tournament in Metz, France.
The young star delivered another strong performance on Wednesday, just days after picking up two medals in Luxembourg, further establishing himself as one to watch on the international youth scene.
Accompanied by his mother and coach, Ganiat, Junior competed in both the U-11 and U-13 categories. While he faced a tough challenge in the older division, he stood out in the U-11 event with a series of impressive displays.
His journey to the podium began with a closely contested 3-2 victory over Brazil’s Rafael Suguimoto. He then faced two French players, narrowly losing 3-2 to Lyazid Idrissi in a match that denied him the gold medal. However, he quickly bounced back, producing a dominant 3-0 win over Nolan Lhuissier to secure the silver medal.
Ganiat, a former international player, expressed pride in her son’s performance, emphasizing that the experience gained from competing at such tournaments is invaluable for his growth.
She explained that exposing the young players to high-level competition remains a key part of their development, despite the challenges of managing both coaching and parental duties during the trip.
Junior’s sister, Mariam, was also in action at the tournament, competing in the U-15 and U-17 categories. The 13-year-old reached the top 32 in the U-15 event but did not progress in the U-17 division.
The Aruna siblings have been steadily making their mark, following their podium finishes earlier this year at a tournament in Portugal, as they continue to build experience on the global stage.
