Quadri Aruna Breaks Into ITTF World Top 20 After Impressive Showing in Doha
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has reached a new milestone in his table tennis career by breaking into the top 20 of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) world rankings.
The achievement comes after Aruna’s remarkable performance at the 2025 WTT Star Contender tournament in Doha, where he advanced to the semi-finals. Previously ranked 21st, Aruna’s victories over Spain’s Alvaro Robles and Korea’s Park Ganghyeon helped him climb the rankings.
This is the second time Aruna has reached the semi-finals of a WTT Star Contender event, making him the only African male player to achieve this feat twice.
Tough Semi-Final Match
In the semi-finals, Aruna faced Japan’s top seed, Tomokazu Harimoto. Despite his best efforts, Aruna was defeated in straight sets (11-9, 11-3, 11-5). While Harimoto advanced to the final, Aruna gained valuable ranking points from his performance.
Other Nigerian Rankings
- Olajide Omotayo remains Nigeria’s second-highest-ranked male player at 96th.
- Matthew Kuti dropped two places to 198th.
- Mustapha Mustapha and Abdulrahaman Abdullahi are ranked 399th and 400th, respectively.
Nigerian Women’s Rankings
On the women’s side, Offiong Edem is still Nigeria’s highest-ranked female player at 103rd, despite recently announcing her retirement from international competition. She is followed by:
- Fatimo Bello (129th)
- Hope Udoaka (189th)
- Ajoke Ojomu (193rd)
- Aishat Rabiu (233rd)
Aruna’s rise into the ITTF world top 20 highlights his dedication and skill, cementing his status as one of Africa’s greatest table tennis players.
