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Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna Makes Top 12 In Latest ITTF Ranking
Nigeria’s esteemed table tennis player, Quadri Aruna, has made significant progress in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) ranking, now securing the 12th position globally.
As per the ITTF’s Week 7 ranking of 2024, which was announced on Tuesday, Aruna surpassed former European champion Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany, who now stands in 13th place.
The statement highlights that Aruna’s exceptional performance at the World Table Tennis Star Contender Goa in India played a crucial role in his ascent from the 16th spot where he began this year.
Furthermore, the ranking reveals that Egypt’s Omar Assar dropped to 22nd from 20th position. Nevertheless, Assar continues to maintain his position as the second-best player from the continent on the global stage.
“Egyptian veteran Ahmed Saleh gained one step up the ladder to occupy 52nd place in the world ranking, while his fellow compatriot Mohamed El-Beiali, almost an Egyptian, is now ranked 63rd after moving one step up the ranking.
“Taiwo Mati remains Nigeria’s second-best-ranked Nigerian in the world as the Portugal-based star moved two steps up to be placed 103 in the world.
“Egypt’s Mahmoud Helmy is the biggest mover in the ITTF ranking as the former African U-21 champion moved 498 steps up the ladder to be ranked 215 in the world.
“In the women’s ranking, Egypt’s Dina Meshref maintained her status as the best-ranked African, occupying 27th place in the world ranking, and she is closely followed by another compatriot, Hana Goda, who is ranked 30th.
“Fatimo Bello remains Nigeria’s best-ranked female player in the world, occupying the 116th spot in the world,” the ranking revealed.
The statement further mentioned that later in the week, Aruna was anticipated to lead the Nigerian team to the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Busan 2024 in South Korea.
It was stated that Aruna Quadri would be aiming to enhance his world ranking as the organizers had made the decision to allocate individual ranking points to players based on their team’s performance at the global tournament.
As per ITTF, the inclusion of individual ranking points for Busan is part of a wider strategic effort aimed at providing players and teams with a more comprehensive assessment of their accomplishments.
The initiative aims to recognize individual performances within the context of team competitions, ultimately raising the prestige of team events.
