Photo credit: nigeriatabletennis/Instagram
Quadri Aruna is back in the spotlight, reclaiming his position as Africa’s highest-ranked table tennis player in the world. The Nigerian star has climbed to 18th place in the latest Week 12 ITTF rankings, overtaking Egypt’s Omar Medhat Assar.
Despite finishing as runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, Quadri’s consistent performances at World Table Tennis (WTT) tournaments this year have propelled him up the global rankings. He remains the only African male player to have reached the semi-finals of the WTT Contender Doha, an achievement he first secured in 2023 and repeated earlier this year.
Interestingly, while Omar claimed victory at the Africa Cup, he dropped in the rankings, slipping from 17th to 19th place. Meanwhile, Denmark’s Jonathan Groth moved up to 17th, and Quadri climbed from 19th to 18th, reaffirming his dominance on the continent.
Earlier this year, Quadri’s children, Mariam, Quadri Junior, and Amira also made headlines in Portugal at the VIX João Monteiro Table Tennis Tournament, earning podium finishes while their father competed at the WTT Contender Doha. Now, with his latest ranking boost, the Aruna name continues to leave its mark on the world of table tennis.
