Nigeria’s table tennis sensation, Quadri Aruna, has reclaimed the top spot in Africa’s ranking less than two months after surrendering the position.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) saw Aruna moving to 17th position in Week 22 of the 2024 ITTF Ranking.
However, Egypt’s Omar Assar slipped to 22nd in the world ranking after occupying the top spot in Africa in the last two months following his triumph at the last African Games in Ghana.
Aruna, who recently reclaimed the ITTF Africa Cup in Rwanda in May, rose two steps up the ranking ladder to become the highest-rated African in the world.
Assar’s drop in the world ranking was due to the expiration of the quarter-final points he garnered at the Durban 2023 World Championships in South Africa, which automatically caused him to lose some points and prompted his fall.
While others are dropping from the pecking order of ranking, Aruna’s points remain static, as the free-fall of others prompted his rise in the world ranking.
Africa’s biggest movers in May, Mohamed El-Beiali, who became the third-best-ranked player in Africa after finishing as runner-up at the 2024 ITTF Africa Cup after a 4-0 loss to Aruna in Kigali, dropped to 49th in the world rating.
In spite of his one-step drop, Egypt’s Dina Meshref remained in the top echelon of Africa as the 24th-best player in the world.
Meshref’s compatriot, Hana Goda, remained static at 31.