ITTF Rankings: Aruna Still Africa’s Best as Nigerian Players Drop

Nigeria’s top table tennis player, Quadri Aruna, has kept his position as the number one player in Africa, even though he has dropped three places in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) world rankings. He is now ranked 26th in the world, according to the rankings released on Tuesday.

Aruna has 1,185 points, which keeps him ahead of his long-time rival, Omar Assar from Egypt, who is ranked 33rd with 930 points.

Aruna stayed on top in Africa despite losing to Assar last week in the round of 64 at the WTT Europe Smash in Sweden. The ITTF ranking system rewards consistent performances over the past 12 months, not just recent matches.

Some of Aruna’s important results include:

• 350 points for finishing second at the 2025 ITTF African Cup in Tunis

• 210 points for reaching the semi-finals at the WTT Star Contender in Doha

• 175 points for making the last 16 at the ITTF World Championships earlier this year

However, as these results are close to expiring, Aruna will need to play well in upcoming tournaments to keep his high position. His recent lack of matches means he must perform strongly to stay among the world’s top players.

Other Nigerian Players Drop

Other top Nigerian male players also dropped in the latest rankings:

• Matthew Kuti dropped four places to 200th (89 points)

• Abdulbasit Abdulfatai dropped three places to 206th (81 points)

• Olajide Omotayo, a former African Games champion, fell six places to 212th

• Taiwo Mati is now 221st

• Muizz Adegoke was the only Nigerian man who moved up, rising two spots to 232nd

Nigerian Women Also Struggle

Among Nigerian women:

• Fatimo Bello remains the top female player at 122nd (189 points)

• Ajoke Ojomu fell to 158th

• Aminat Fashola dropped to 186th

• Sukurat Aiyelabegan fell to 211th

Only Nigerian women ranked between 5th and 10th in the national list showed improvement.

China Stays on Top Globally

China continues to lead the world rankings:

• Sun Yingsha remains number one in the women’s rankings with a huge 12,200 points after winning the WTT Europe Smash.

• In the men’s rankings, Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin are on top.

• Tomokazu Harimoto (Japan) and Hugo Calderano (Brazil) are also in the top four.

The ITTF world rankings are updated weekly. They are based on a player’s best eight results over the last 12 months. Matches in bigger tournaments earn more points, and being consistent is key to staying high in the rankings.