Quadri Aruna sets new African record in ITTF ranking
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has climbed four spots up from seventeen to thirteen in the latest ITTF ranking.
The table tennis prodigy set the new African record following the ranking released on Tuesday by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
With the feat, Aruna has broken the record he set in September where he was ranked in the top 15. The previous record had erased the 16th-place achieved by Egyptian Omar Assar’s in January 2018.
Aruna’s scintillating performance at the just concluded ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, Texas, was a contributory factor that helped in his upward movement in the new ranking.
The feat also comes a few days after he set the record of being the first African to reach the quarter-final stage at the championships.
Being the biggest movers 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 WTTF Cup Finals scheduled to hold from December 4 to 7 in Singapore.
Speaking on the feat, Aruna said the ranking meant 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,” he said.
“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 also took to his official Instagram page to write: “Very happy with my new ranking in the world. Nothing is really impossible. Just unbelievable. With your supports and prayers, this is possible. Thank you all.”
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Congratulating Aruna on the new feat, Ishaku Tikon, president of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), said his latest achievement 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,” Tukon said.
“This for us as a federation means we must find another Aruna who can exceed what he has done. Our focus remains the cadet and junior and we are going to ensure we organize 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.”
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