Veteran Nigerian table tennis player Quadri Aruna is once again Africa’s highest-ranked player based on the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) world rankings released on Tuesday, March 18.

Aruna’s last reign as Africa’s No. 1 ended in May 2024 when he was dethroned by his arch-rival Omar Assar, following the Egyptian’s impressive run to the round of 16 at the 2024 Singapore Smash.

Assar’s dominance over Aruna continued into 2025, with the Egyptian defeating the Nigerian legend to win the ITTF Africa Cup in February. However, Aruna’s steady performances at World Table Tennis (WTT) tournaments this year have propelled him back to the top in the latest rankings.

So far in 2025, Aruna has participated in two WTT events: a semi-final finish at WTT Star Contender Doha and a round of 32 exit at WTT Champions Chongqing earlier this month.

Aruna remains the only African male table tennis player to reach the WTT Contender Doha semi-finals, a record he first set in 2023. His recent performances have propelled him from 19th in Week 11 to 18th in the latest rankings, while Assar slipped from 17th to 19th.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali climbed to 45th despite a quarter-final exit at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, making him the third-ranked African table tennis player. Additionally, Nigeria’s Omotayo Olajide broke into the top 100, moving up four places to 98th.

The rivalry between Africa’s top table tennis players will resume from March 25 to 30 after Aruna received a late call-up to the inaugural WTT Contender Chennai in India. The 36-year-old Nigerian legend and Assar will compete in the $270,000 tournament alongside eight other players in the men’s singles category.