Egypt’s Assar overtakes Nigeria’s Aruna in rankings after Olympic achievement

In a remarkable turn of events, Egypt’s Omar Assar’s performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics has catapulted him up the world table tennis rankings.

The Egyptian star climbed five spots to secure the 17th position in the ITTF Rankings, as announced on Tuesday, August 6, during Week 32 of 2024.

The shift has put Assar at the top of African table tennis, surpassing Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, who now sits at number 20.

Despite a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Sweden’s Truls Moregard in the Men’s Singles quarter-finals, Assar has set a new African record by reaching back-to-back quarter-finals at the Olympics, matching Nigeria’s Aruna’s feat at Rio 2016 at Tokyo 2020.

Also Read: Aruna rose to rank 16th best table tennis player in the world

Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw, despite an early exit, climbed six places to 83rd. Olajide Omotayo, the 2019 African Games champion, climbed 12 places to 92nd, becoming Africa’s second-best improver.

Nigerian-born Saheed Idowu, representing Congo Brazzaville, lost a thrilling 4-3 match against Sweden’s Anton Kallberg but managed to win the hearts of many, climbing 16 places to 100th.

Egypt’s Dina Meshref continues to dominate the African rankings, moving up two places to 24th, while Hana Goda also moves up to 31st. Nigeria’s Offiong Edem returns to the top 100, moving up 14 places to 97th.

Retired Cameroon star Sarah Hanffou ended her career at 109th, and Nigeria’s Fatimo Bello saw a significant rise of 26 places to 118th in the latest rankings.

These moves reflect the dynamic and competitive nature of African table tennis, showcasing the talent and resilience of its players on the global stage.

Egypt’s Assar surpasses Nigeria’s Aruna in rankings after Olympic feat first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.