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By: Johnny Edward.
Following unsuccessful outings in recent table tennis competitions, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has dropped four spots in the latest world rankings for the month of May, The PUNCH reports.
Though the 34-year-old maintains top spot in Africa, he dropped from 12th position to 16th in the latest ranking, which was released on Wednesday after he accumulated only 395 points during the month under review.
The 2022 African champion recorded 350 points at the 2023 ITTF-Africa Cup, in Nairobi Kenya and earned 45 points at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Durban, South Africa where he failed to reach the quarter-finals.
His compatriot, Taiwo Mati, moved up 16 places from 91st position to 75th – the highest ever in the 19-year-old’s fledging career.
He recorded 180 points in the month under review.
Mati earned 90 points for reaching the quarter-finals of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Durban as well as the same points at the 2023 ITTF-Africa Cup, Nairobi, Kenya where he reached the round of 32.
Olajide Omotayo also moved eight points from 163 to 155, while Bode Abiodun moved 10 places from 167th to 157th.
The biggest mover in the ranking for a Nigerian player is Amadi Omeh, who moved 207 places to rank 200 in the world.
Amadi won the WTTC 2024 Western Africa regional qualifications in Accra, Ghana amassing 75 points.
The Chinese trio of Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin and Ma Long occupy the top three positions in the world, respectively, while Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan and Sweden’s Liang Jingkun of China complete the top five.
Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Yun-Ju from China, Germany’s Dang Qiu and Truls Moregard from Sweden complete the list of the 10 best players in the world for men.
In the women’s category, Nigeria’s Fatimo Bello moved three steps up from 56th to 53rd, while duo Offiong Edem and Olufunke Oshonaike dropped in the rankings. Oshonaike is now ranked 147th, while Edem is placed 148th.
