ITTF Rankings: Aruna Reclaims Africa's No.1 Spot, Kuti Surpasses Omotayo

ITTF Rankings: Aruna Reclaims Africa's No.1 Spot, Kuti Surpasses Omotayo

Sampson Adedeji

Nigeria’s table tennis ace, Quadri Aruna, has reclaimed his position as the highest-ranked African player in the latest ITTF world rankings, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Aruna, who last competed at the U.S. Smash in July, jumped three places on the global ranking despite his recent inactivity.

His return to the top was made possible by the ITTF's rolling 12-month ranking system, which phased out older points from rival players.

Egypt’s Omar Assar, who previously held the African top spot, has now dropped behind Aruna in the global standings.

In another major development, Matthew Kuti has overtaken Olajide Omotayo to become Nigeria’s second-highest-ranked male table tennis player.

Kuti climbed six spots to 194th in the world following his impressive title-winning performance at the 2025 West Africa Regional Championships in Lagos, earning 75 ranking points.

He also picked up 10 points from the ITTF World Championships Finals in Doha and four from the WTT Contender Lagos, bringing his total to 89 points.

Omotayo, on the other hand, slipped 37 places to 198th after a poor showing in Lagos, and now has 78 points just two places away from dropping out of the global top 200.

Close behind are Abdulbasit Abdulfatai and Taiwo Mati, ranked 205th and 213th, respectively. Abdulfatai rose two places, boosted by his strong showing in Lagos.

He earned all 74 of his ranking points there 55 from his runner-up finish at the West Africa Regional Championships and 19 from the WTT Contender event.

Taiwo Mati retained his 213th position and remains Nigeria’s most travelled player. He collected 35 points after reaching the Round of 16 at WTT Contender Lagos, the joint-best African finish at the event, and added 25 points from a semi-final run at the West Africa Regional Championships.

His total is further bolstered by appearances in Cagliari (3 points), Muscat, Tunis, and Skopje (2 points each). Muizz Adegoke also saw progress, climbing two spots to 232nd with a total of 59 ranking points.