Matthew Kuti has surged past 2019 African Games champion Olajide Omotayo to become Nigeria’s second-highest-ranked male table tennis player in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Rankings for Week 32 of the 2025 season.
Kuti climbed six spots to 194th globally, boosted by his recent title-winning performance at the 2025 West Africa Regional Championships in Lagos, which earned him 75 ranking points. He also gained 10 points from the ITTF World Championships Finals in Doha and four more from the WTT Contender Lagos, bringing his total to 89 points.
In contrast, Omotayo dropped 37 places to 198th after a poor showing in Lagos. He now holds 78 points and risks slipping out of the top 200.
Meanwhile, Africa’s top male table tennis player, Quadri Aruna, reclaimed his continental crown after moving up three spots to 21st in the world with 1,185 points. Aruna, who last played at the United States Smash in July, benefited from the ITTF’s rolling 12-month points system, which dropped outdated results from rival players.
Egypt’s Omar Assar, who had briefly overtaken Aruna as Africa’s best, has now fallen behind in the rankings.
Elsewhere, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai and Taiwo Mati remain just outside the top 200. Abdulfatai rose two places to 205th, gaining 74 points in Lagos — 55 from his runner-up finish at the West Africa Championships and 19 from the WTT Contender event.
Mati held steady at 213th, collecting 35 points for reaching the Round of 16 at WTT Contender Lagos — the joint-best performance by an African player at the tournament. He added 25 points from a semi-final run at the West Africa Championships and smaller contributions from events in Cagliari (3 points), Muscat, Tunis, and Skopje (2 points each).
Muizz Adegoke also made a modest two-spot jump to 232nd, with 59 total points.
In the women’s rankings, Fatimo Bello remains Nigeria’s highest-ranked female player despite slipping 17 spots to 134th. Her semi-final finish at the 2025 ITTF African Cup in Tunis earned her 175 of her 189 points, with additional contributions from Lagos and Doha.
Ajoke Ojomu climbed five places to 153rd after a strong run at the West Africa Regional Championships, where she secured 75 points for her title win. She earned another 35 points at the WTT Contender Lagos and 10 from the World Championships in Doha.
Aminat Fashola completes Nigeria’s top three women, sitting 174th with 94 points.
The ITTF World Ranking system plays a critical role in determining tournament seeding, Olympic qualification, and global player assessments, making every point vital as Nigerian players look to climb higher on the international stage.
