Aruna retains African No.1 spot in ITTF rankings

Quadri Aruna maintained his status as the best-ranked African player in the world, occupying the 11th position ahead of African Games champion Omar Assar of Egypt, who is ranked 22nd in the world while compatriot Offiong Edem leads the rise of African players in the 2024-week 11 rankings released by the International Table Tennis Federation on Tuesday.

The latest rankings follow the conclusion of the table tennis event at the ongoing 13th African Games in Ghana.

Edem, who won bronze in the women’s singles event in Ghana, gained 45 steps up to be rated 97 as the best-ranked female Nigerian player in the world.

However, the biggest mover in the world is Algeria’s Lucie Mobarek, who was unranked before the African Games but moved by 544 steps to be ranked 103 in the world as the highest-ranked Algerian female player globally, while bronze medallist in the men’s singles event and Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw moved by 26 steps to be ranked 67 in the world.

Egypt’s Dina Meshref and Hana Goda are still the best ranked African female players at 26 and 30 respectively.

Men’s singles quarter-finalist Khaled Assar of Egypt gained 146 steps to be rated 145 in the world.

The biggest beneficiaries are Tunisian trio Wassim Essid, Youssef Ben Attia and Khalil Sta, bronze medalists in the men’s team event who gained steps in their world rankings.

Teenage sensation Essid gained 83 steps to be ranked 206, while Ben Attia and Sta gained 221 steps to be ranked 237 and 238 respectively.