THE three years search for title by Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri in the Portuguese table tennis league may be getting closer after the former African champion inspired GD Toledos to a 4-1 win over defending champion, Sporting Club in the first leg of the playoff final.
Quadri, who is playing in his third season in the European league has twice missed out from the title in the final and with his performance at the weekend; the 2012 London Olympian believes he would cuddle the diadem this season.
Playing at home to Sporting, Quadri started the onslaught against the Andre Silva and he succeeded with a 3-1 to give Toledos a 1-0 lead. But Toledos’ lead was halted when Sporting’s Zheng Shun defeated Quadri’s teammate 3-0.
Toledos’ Diogo Silva restored the lead with an excellent win over Ricardo Oliveira, while the pairing of Quadri and Silva increased the lead when they overcame Sporting’s duo of Shun and Silva 3-0.
Like a true leader in the team, Quadri completed the rout with an outstanding win over Shun. Although the victory did not come without a hassle as Quadri was made to work hard for the win.
Narrating how he was able to surmount the Chinese, Quadri said, “I concluded and ended Sporting hope of coming back into the game by winning Chinese-born Shun in a tough five sets, which ended 3-2 in my favour. I had to come from 2-0 down to overcome Shun. It was a tough match and the people Pico Island in Toledos were so excited for the victory.”
Despite the 4-1 win in the first leg, Quadri admitted, “it is not over yet until it is over because the second leg will be coming up next week in Lisbon, home of Sporting.”
Out of the 68 editions of the league, Sporting has won it 32 times with Toledos won it once in season 2010/2011.
The second leg of the final holds this Saturday at the Multisport Building of the Alvalade XXI Stadium in Lisbon.
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