Aruna Quadri drops in World Table Tennis ranking
Nigerian table tennis icon, Aruna Quadri dropped four spots in the most recent world rankings for May as a result of his recent dismal performances in table tennis competitions.
The 34-year-old continues to be the best player in Africa, but in the most recent ranking, which was made public on Wednesday, May 31, he dropped from 12th spot to 16th after receiving only 395 points in the month under review.
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At the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Durban, South Africa, the 2022 African champion finished with 45 points but failed to go past the quarterfinals. At the 2023 ITTF-Africa Cup in Nairobi, Kenya, he earned 350 points.
Amadi Omeh, a Nigerian player, rose the highest in the rankings, climbing 207 spots to number 200 overall. With 75 points, Amadi triumphed in the WTTC 2024 Western Africa regional competition in Accra, Ghana.
The top three athletes in the world are a Chinese trio consisting of Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin, and Ma Long. Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan and Liang Jingkun of China complete the top five players.
Hugo Calderano of Brazil, Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Yun-Ju of China, Dang Qiu of Germany, and Truls Moregard of Sweden round out the top 10 male athletes in the world.
Another Nigerian table tennis star, Taiwo Mati moved 16 spots, from 91st to 75th, which is the highest move of his 19-year career. He earned 180 points in the month under review.
In addition to receiving the same number of points for making it to the round of 32 in the 2023 ITTF-Africa Cup in Nairobi, Kenya, Mati earned 90 points for making it to the quarterfinals of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Durban.