Team Nigeria’s bid to gain promotion from second division to the championship division at the 2018 ITTF World Team Championships in Sweden hit the rocks after the team lost 3-0 to Slovakia in their quarterfinal clash.

It was a second successive loss for Team Nigeria against the Slovaks after the 3-1 defeat in a Group F match.

The trio of Aruna Quadri, Bode Abiodun and Olajide Omotayo were beaten by Slovakia’s Lubomir Pistej, Samuel Novota and Wang Yang respectively.

Pistej got the better of Quadri 3-1 to put Slovakia 1-0 up before Abiodun was beaten 3-2 by Novota who doubled his team’s advantage.

Yang then wrapped up the tie by beaten the youngest member of the Nigerian team, Omotayo, 3-1.

Speaking via the ITTF website after his team’s victory over Nigeria, Slovakia coach Jaromir Truksa was happy his change of strategy worked. In his words, Truska said: “I am so happy that we were able to beat Nigeria twice in this competition. In our previous meetings, they have always been defeating us but this time around I won against them twice in same competition.”

“This has really helped our confidence and I must also say that I must commend Pistej that despite the injury he copped, he was able to beat Quadri, who is one of the best players in the world.” he concluded.