Quadri Aruna, a Nigerian table tennis star hailing from Oyo State, has risen to become Africa’s highest-ranked player, surpassing Egypt’s Omar Assar in the latest global rankings released by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
According to the updated rankings published on Tuesday, Aruna now holds the 18th position worldwide with 1,290 points, climbing one spot from his previous ranking. This achievement comes despite Aruna finishing as the runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup and delivering strong performances in various World Table Tennis (WTT) events throughout the year.
Aruna, the only African male player to reach the semifinals of the WTT Contender in Doha, replicated his 2023 success by securing another semifinal berth earlier this year. His consistent performances on the international stage have been instrumental in his rise to the top of Africa’s table tennis rankings.
This milestone sees Aruna overtake Assar, who was crowned the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup champion just two weeks ago. Assar, previously ranked 17th, has now slipped to 19th place with 1,250 points.
