From 73rd position, Aruna Quadri has moved to Number 30 in the world, according to the November International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) ranking released on Thursday.
Quadri, who stunned the world after beating three top-rated players at the last World Cup in Germany, has overtaken Egypt’s Omar Assar as the highest-ranked African player in the world.
The development has earned him commendation from Khaled El-Salhy, president of African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF).
He described it as good news for the continent, saying it would improve Africa’s chances of having more slots at the World Championship and Olympic Games.
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“I am happy that Quadri is making Africa proud and for us this is a good development for the continent, as this will surely improve our chances of having more slots for Africa in major competitions like the Olympic Games, ” El-Salhy said.
“We will continue to support the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) in their quest to churn out more players like Quadri and we hope other players in the continent will take a cue from the performance of Quadri at the World Cup.”
Olabanji Oladapo, vice-president of the federation, has also called for more support for Quadri who he believes can make it to top 10 in the world.
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“I don’t think there is a big gap between Quadri and some of the players in the top 10. He has shown that with more support, he can make it there. But he needs the support of all and sundry especially the private sector. For us at ATTF, this is a good news and we hope it will rub off on the fortune of the game in Africa,” Oladapo said.
Quadri’s compatriot, Ojo Onaolapo, who recently moved to Italy to purse his professional career, won his first major title in the Italian league.
To lift the Italian Cup title, Onaolapo played from the group stages to make the final where he battled against Italian national player, Bisi Paolo.
Onaolapo dazed the Italian 3-2 to win his first title in Italy.
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