Aruna Quadri Ends 2025 As Africa’s Number One In World Table Tennis Rankings

Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has wrapped up 2025 firmly established as Africa’s leading table tennis player, according to the final annual rankings released on Tuesday by the International Table Tennis Federation.

Quadri, who spent most of the year at the summit of the continental standings, finished 28th in the world with 1,065 points. That tally made him the only African men’s player to cross the 1,000-point mark in the latest rankings, which were published as 2026 Week 1.

Egypt’s Omar Assar followed as Africa’s next highest-ranked player, sitting 32nd globally with 965 points.

At 37, Quadri put together his ranking haul across a packed and demanding international calendar. A major highlight was his run to the final of the ITTF African Cup in Tunis, a performance that earned him 350 valuable points.

He also reached the semi-finals of the WTT Star Contender in Doha and advanced to the last 16 at the World Table Tennis Championships finals, also staged in the Qatari capital.

Additional points came from appearances at top-tier events such as the Singapore Smash and United States Smash, alongside WTT Champions tournaments in Macao, Chongqing, Incheon, Yokohama and Frankfurt. He was also a regular presence on the circuit at several WTT Contender and Star Contender competitions.

That level of consistency ensured Quadri remained Africa’s standard bearer throughout the year, underlining his staying power at the top of the sport on the continent in an era dominated globally by Asian and European stars.

On the world stage, China continue to set the benchmark. Wang Chuqin leads the men’s rankings ahead of compatriot Lin Shidong, while Brazil’s Hugo Calderano remains the highest-ranked non-Asian player in third place.

Quadri’s latest achievement adds to an already distinguished career. A three-time Olympian, he represented Nigeria at the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games and reached the quarter-finals in Rio in 2016. In May 2022, he made history as the first African player to break into the world’s top ten.

He was named the ITTF Star Player of the Year in 2014, won a Commonwealth Games bronze medal with Nigeria in the same year, and was later recognised by the Olympics as Africa’s most successful Olympic table tennis player of all time.