TheCable

Aruna Quadri has become the first Nigerian to make the top 18 ranking of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

Quadri rose from 20 to 18 in the August 2018 ranking released by the table tennis ruling body on Sunday.

The Nigerian’s ascent was helped in part by his last 16 performance at the Australian Open.

Quadri, who is the second African to make the top 18, says the ranking will spur him to “work harder”.

“I am so happy with the ranking particularly with my qualification for the ITTF World Cup in France,” he said.

“Again, this ranking has shown that I should not relax but continue to work harder because remaining on top is one of the difficult tasks for any athlete.

“This goes to show that I must redouble my efforts in training and continue to compete in major competitions across the globe.

“I will not be carried away by this rating but be humbled by this feat and remain focused in order to maintain my status in the global rating.”

Omar Assar of Egypt dropped from 21 to 23 in the latest ranking.

The Egyptian is the first African player to be ranked in top 16 in the world but he has been inactive in the last two months.

Assar will not be part of the 2018 ITTF Challenge Nigeria Open.