Just days after making history as the first African player to reach the quarter-final stage at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships, Quadri Aruna has set another African record following the release of the latest ITTF ranking today.
The Nigerian was ranked 17 in the world before the Championships in Houston, Texas, in the United States, and with that record-breaking performance, Aruna gained four steps up in the ranking to be rated 13th in the ITTF ranking – the best ever position occupied by an African.
Being the biggest mover among the top 20 players in the world, Aruna has continued to raise the bar for other African players to emulate with his superlative performance at major competitions which has also earned him a place among the top 20 players invited for the 2021 World Table Tennis (WTTF) Cup Finals scheduled for December 4 to 7 in Singapore.
After the ranking was released, Aruna described the achievement as more work for him.
“I am so excited to improve my world ranking, and this means I must work hard to remain on top in the world. This is another task I must face in my career, and I will not relent to do my best as I look forward to the WTTF Cup Finals taking place this weekend in Singapore,” he said.
For the President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Ishaku Tikon, the latest feat by Aruna would surely motivate other upcoming players to work harder.
“We are so excited that within one week, Aruna has set two African records as the first to reach the quarterfinal of the World Championships as well as the first African to be ranked 13th in the world.
“This for us as a federation means we must find another Aruna who can exceed what he has done. Our focus remains on the cadet and junior and we are going to ensure we organise tournaments and expose them to international competitions. I must also commend Aruna for his conduct within and outside the table because he has shown to be a good ambassador of the sport and we hope to complement this feat by ensuring we unearth more Arunas,” Tikon said.
Surprise package at the tournament in Houston, Truls Moregard of Sweden is the biggest mover in the latest ITTF ranking. The 19-year-old, who finished as runner-up, moved from 77th spot to 31st in the ranking, while newly crowned world champion Fan Zhendong of China maintained his top position.
