In an epic final men’s singles final clash, Aruna ended the dominance of his long-time rival Omar Assar of Egypt with an 11-7, 3-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9 win at the Enbeath Complex. 

Victory ensures he will make his second consecutive appearance at the ITTF World Cup.

"I am so happy today that I won because it was not an easy match," the 28-year-old said.

"I am happy that my backhand worked well in the match because I was afraid to use it against my friend, Omar Assar, whom I know was in his best form this time.

"I think Omar Assar played and that I was just lucky today because sometime luck plays a crucial role in matches."

The women’s singles final saw Meshref convincingly overcome Nigeria’s Olufunke Oshionaike 11-7, 11-9, 11-8, 11-2.

The match was played in the same venue where Oshionaike shocked Meshref last year to reclaim the ITTF African Championships, 24 years after her first.

But the 41-year-old was not able to repeat her success this time round.

"It was not an easy match and this cannot be judged by the result," Meshref, 23, said.  

"The first two games were very tough and I knew that if I could win the first two games, my confidence would grow and I would have the opportunity to win the match.

"It was good winning at same venue I lost to her last year but most importantly, qualifying for the ITTF Women’s World Cup - a tournament which is very special to me."

The ITTF World Cups are the second most prestigious events on the international table tennis calendar, with only 20 of the top players qualifying through their respective Continental Cups together with the current world champions, one host player and a wildcard.

The next continental qualifier for the ITTF World Cups will be the Pan American Cup in Costa Rica’s capital San José from July 28 to 30.

The ITTF Men’s World Cup is scheduled to take place in Belgian city Liège from October 20 to 22.

Markham in Canada is due to host the ITTF Women’s World Cup from October 27 to 29.