Mariam Aruna, daughter of Nigerian table tennis icon Quadri Aruna, is set to represent Nigeria for the first time at the ITTF Africa Youth Championships.
The tournament is scheduled to be held from Sunday, July 27 to Sunday, August 3 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
Mariam Aruna has been named in the Nigeria U-15 girls’ team alongside Fatimoh Ahmed, Chinenye Okafor, and Aziza Sezuo.
The team will compete against other girls from 10 African countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Uganda, and South Africa.
Ahead of the tournament, the 12-year-old made her WTT Contender debut in Lagos on Wednesday, where she secured a victory over Benin’s Amady Stacy in Group 15.
However, an earlier loss to Nigeria’s Abosede Odusanya prevented her from advancing to the main draw.
Mariam is coached by her mother, Ganiyat Aruna, a former national player, and will now focus on the one-week youth championship.
Earlier in the year, Mariam and her siblings participated in the João Monteiro Table Tennis Tournament in Portugal, where she finished second in the U-15 category.
Her brother, Aruna Junior, also secured second place in the U-11 division, while her younger sister, Amirah Aruna, claimed third place in the U-11 category, winning her first career trophy.
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