Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has retained his status as Africa’s top-ranked table tennis player, even after slipping three places to 26th in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) world rankings released on Tuesday.
Aruna now sits on 1,185 points, keeping him well ahead of long-time Egyptian rival Omar Assar, who remains in 33rd place with 930 points.
The Nigerian star’s ranking comes under pressure despite his early exit at the WTT Europe Smash in Sweden last week, where he lost to Assar in the round of 64. The ITTF ranking system, however, places a premium on consistent performances across a 12-month cycle.
Key to Aruna’s stronghold are points earned from major outings in recent months, including 350 points as runner-up at the 2025 ITTF African Cup in Tunis, 210 points from reaching the semi-finals of the WTT Star Contender in Doha, and 175 points for a round-of-16 finish at the ITTF World Championships.
With many of those results approaching expiration, upcoming tournaments will prove decisive for Aruna as he seeks to maintain his place among the world’s elite.
Nigeria’s other leading male players, however, suffered further drops in the latest ranking. Matthew Kuti fell to 200th, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai slipped to 206th, former African Games champion Olajide Omotayo dropped to 212th, while Taiwo Mati slid to 221st. Only Muizz Adegoke recorded an improvement, climbing two places to 232nd.
The country’s women also faced mixed fortunes. Fatimo Bello remains Nigeria’s highest-ranked female player at 122nd with 189 points. But Ajoke Ojomu dropped to 158th, Aminat Fashola fell to 186th, and Sukurat Aiyelabegan slid to 211th. Gains were recorded only among players ranked outside the top four.
Globally, China continues to dominate the ITTF rankings. Sun Yingsha extended her lead at the top of the women’s list to a record 12,200 points after winning the WTT Europe Smash. In the men’s category, Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin lead the pack, followed by Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Brazil’s Hugo Calderano.
The ITTF updates its rankings weekly, factoring in players’ best eight results over a rolling 12-month period, with high-tier competitions carrying greater weight.
