Egypt’s star, Omar Assar, has overtaken Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna as the highest-ranked African player. Assar moved up five places to secure the 17th spot in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings, as announced on Tuesday, August 6, during Week 32 of 2024.
According to a press release from ITTF Africa, Assar’s rise to the 17th spot is a testament to his impressive performance in the Paris 2024 Olympic Men’s Singles event, which propelled him to the top of African table tennis, surpassing Quadri Aruna, who now occupies the 20th place.
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Assar delivered high-level performances during the Olympics, with a win over Madagascar’s Fabio Rakotoarimanana 4-1 in the second round and a stunning 4-0 victory over Ecuador’s Alberto Mino to qualify for the knockout stage.
He continued his excellent run by defeating Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko in the Round of 16 but fell 4-1 to Sweden’s Truls Moregard in the Round of 8.
Despite a disappointing 4-1 loss to Moregard in the Men’s Singles quarterfinal, Assar made history as the first from the continent to reach consecutive quarterfinals in the Olympics, matching Nigeria’s Aruna’s feat from Rio 2016 at Tokyo 2020.
Other African players’ rankings include Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw, who, despite an early exit, climbed six places to 83rd. Olajide Omotayo, the 2019 African Games champion, jumped 12 places to 92nd, becoming the second-best mover in Africa.
Nigeria-born Saheed Idowu, representing Congo-Brazzaville, lost a thrilling 4-3 match to Sweden’s Anton Kallberg but won the hearts of many, moving up 16 places to the 100th spot.
Egypt’s Dina Meshref continues to dominate the African rankings, ascending two places to 24th, while Hana Goda also made gains, moving up to 31st. Nigeria’s Offiong Edem re-entered the top 100, climbing 14 places to 97th.
The retired Cameroonian star Sarah Hanffou concluded her career ranked 109th, and Nigeria’s Fatimo Bello made a significant jump of 26 places to 118th in the latest rankings.
These movements reflect the dynamic and competitive nature of African table tennis, showcasing the talent and resilience of its players on the global stage.
By Dotun Omisakin
