Aruna Retains African Crown as Nigeria Slides Down In Latest ITTF Ranking

By: Arinzechi Chukwunonso

Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has once again reaffirmed his status as Africa’s table tennis king, retaining his position as the continent’s highest-ranked player despite dropping three places in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) world rankings released on Tuesday.

Aruna now sits 26th in the world with 1,185 points, well ahead of his long-time Egyptian rival Omar Assar, who occupies 33rd place with 930 points. The Nigerian veteran’s consistency has ensured he remains Africa’s No. 1, even after suffering a round-of-64 defeat to Assar at last week’s WTT Europe Smash in Sweden.

His standing has been strengthened by strong results over the past year, including:

350 points from finishing runner-up at the 2025 ITTF African Cup in Tunis, 210 points for a semi-final run at the WTT Star Contender in Doha, 175 points from reaching the last 16 at the ITTF World Championships earlier this year

While Aruna continues to fly the flag, the latest rankings brought little cheer for Nigeria’s other male players. Matthew Kuti dropped four places to 200th with 89 points, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai fell three spots to 206th with 81 points, and former African Games champion Olajide Omotayo slipped six places to 212th. Rising star Taiwo Mati also dipped to 221st, while Muizz Adegoke bucked the trend with a slight climb to 232nd.

Nigeria’s female players also endured a tough update. Fatimo Bello remains the country’s highest-ranked woman at 122nd with 189 points, but others saw declines: Ajoke Ojomu dropped to 158th, Aminat Fashola fell to 186th, and Sukurat Aiyelabegan slipped to 211th. Only those ranked outside the top four in the national pecking order managed modest gains.

Despite the collective slide, Aruna’s stronghold as Africa’s No. 1 remains a bright spot for Nigerian table tennis. However, the struggles of his compatriots highlight the growing challenge for the nation to remain competitive on the global stage.