Table Tennis
ARUNA QUADRI RISES TO 27 IN ITTF RANKING
The support from Premier Lotto has started yielding positive result for Aruna Quadri as the 2017 Polish Open champion moved from 36 to 27 in the November ITTF ranking released on Wednesday November 1 by the world table tennis ruling body.
As the first African to win an ITTF title outside the continent after claiming the men’s singles at the Polish Open, Aruna Quadri gained more points from his Poland victory as well as claimed some points from his qualification to the main draw at the ITTF World Cup in Liege, Belgium.
With 2434 points in October to be ranked 36, Aruna Quadri gained 23points from his performance in October to be rated 27 in November with 2457 points.
Despite drop in his ranking points from 2528 to 2513, Egypt’s Omar Assarl holds on to the zenith in Africa as the Egyptian moved a step up from 21 to 20.
China’s Ma Long remains the number one player in the world despite losing to Germany’s Timo Boll in the semifinal of the ITTF World Cup while winner of the 2017 ITTF World Cup, Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov achieved the biggest ranking in his career after moving a step up to third spot in the latest ranking.
World Cup runner’s up, Germany’s Timo Boll moved to fourth place in the ranking while France’s Simon Gauzy continued his steady rise in the rating as the Frenchman moved from 13 to eighth place in the ranking to halt the dominance of Asians in the ranking. Among the top 10 players ranked in the world, Europe has three players while Asia has seven.
In the women’s ranking, for the first time in her career that China’s Zhu Yuling has headed the list, she replaces compatriot – Ding Ning, the reigning Olympic and World champion whose name no long appears owing to a recent absence from the international scene.
The effect is that there is a climb of one place for China’s duo of Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen. Chen Meng is now at number 2 followed by Liu Shiwen. Similarly it is one position higher for the next three names in the order of merit. Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa is now at number 4 followed by Japanese compatriots – Miu Hirano and Mima Ito.
Efforts of Egypt’s Dina Meshref at the 2017 ITTF Women’s World were rewarded, as the African champion moved from number103 to 92.
Egyptian teenage prodigy Hana Goda has etched her name into African sporting history after becoming the first African female player to reach the quarterfinals of the prestigious ITTF World Cup.
Goda’s landmark achievement, recorded on Friday in Macao, China, also saw her equal the feat set by Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, who became the first African to reach the last eight of the competition in 2014.
It has taken 12 years for Africa to produce another World Cup quarterfinalist, but Goda’s accomplishment carries even greater significance as she becomes both the first Egyptian and the first African woman to reach this stage of the tournament.
The 16-year-old announced her arrival in style during the group phase, dominating Group 14 with commanding 3-0 victories over Macao’s Leong On Na and Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching to advance to the knockout rounds.
Her defining moment came in a thrilling round-of-16 clash against France’s Jia Nan Yuan. After narrowly losing the opening game 11-9, Goda showed remarkable composure to fight back and level the contest before taking the lead. The experienced French opponent responded to push the match into a decisive seventh game.
In a dramatic finale, Goda trailed 7-10 but mounted a stunning comeback, saving match points to win 13-11 and secure a historic victory. Overcome with emotion, she collapsed to the floor in celebration after sealing her place in the quarterfinals.
“It is a joy and feeling that I can’t describe,” Goda said after the match. “It was a very strong match… we arrived at 3-3, and in the last game I was down 7-10 but fought back to win 13-11. Our Lord is generous.”
She also paid tribute to her coach, Hisham Ismail, for his unwavering belief throughout the contest.
Goda’s breakthrough represents a significant milestone for African table tennis, particularly for women’s participation in the sport, and signals a promising future for the continent on the global stage.
Her next challenge, however, will be formidable, as she is set to face world No. 1 Sun Yingsha of China in the quarterfinals.
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Africa’s leading table tennis star, Quadri Aruna, will spearhead the continent’s campaign at the 2026 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China, after being handed a challenging group-stage draw for the centenary edition of the tournament.
The competition, scheduled from March 30 to April 5, carries historic significance as the International Table Tennis Federation celebrates 100 years of the sport’s global administration. A total of 48 men and 48 women will compete for the prestigious Evans and Hammarlund Cups.
Aruna, Africa’s most decorated player on the global stage and the only African to have reached the World Cup quarterfinals—achieved in 2014 in Düsseldorf—has been drawn in Group 6 alongside Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar and Japan’s Sora Matsushima. The Nigerian will open his campaign on Monday against Pucar in what is expected to be a crucial tie in a tightly contested group.
Other African representatives also face formidable opposition. Egypt’s Omar Assar is placed in Group 5 with Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Jun-Yu. Meanwhile, Algeria’s debutant Stephane Ouaiche faces a stern test against France’s Simon Gauzy and China’s Wen Ruibo in Group 15.
In the women’s event, Africa’s hopes rest on a mix of youth and experience. Egypt’s rising star Hana Goda, the reigning African champion, will compete in Group 14 against Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching and Macao’s Leong On Na, as she aims to improve on her last-16 finish in 2025.
Veteran Dina Meshref faces one of the toughest assignments in the tournament, drawn in Group 1 alongside China’s world number one Sun Yingsha and Lin Yu-Jhun.
Also in action, Egypt’s Mariam Alhodaby will take on Germany’s Sabine Winter and Wales’ Anna Hursey in Group 12. At the same time, Algeria’s teenage prospect Tania Morice makes her debut in Group 16 against Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi and Romania’s Bernadette Szocs.
This year’s tournament introduces a significant format change, with Stage 1 group matches to be played as best-of-five games, increasing the intensity and leaving little margin for error. Only group winners will progress to the knockout stage, setting the stage for high-stakes encounters throughout the week.
With a difficult draw across both the men’s and women’s events, Africa’s representatives will need to deliver top-level performances to advance in what promises to be one of the most competitive editions in the tournament’s history.
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Nigeria’s Wahid Oshodi has reached another landmark in global sports administration following his appointment to the board of World Table Tennis (WTT), the commercial arm of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
The historic appointment was announced during the ITTF Executive Board meeting held on March 1, 2026, at the WTT Headquarters in Singapore.
Following the allocation of portfolios, ITTF President Petra Sörling and ITTF Executive Vice President Oshodi were nominated to represent the federation on the WTT Board. At the board’s subsequent meeting, Sörling was confirmed as Chair, succeeding former chairmen Liu Guoliang and Khalil Al-Mohannadi.
As the majority owner of WTT, the ITTF stated that it has a responsibility to ensure the commercial platform generates sustainable value for the sport and its 227 member associations worldwide. The latest appointments, according to the federation, reflect a renewed commitment to strengthening governance and strategic oversight of WTT.
Other members remaining on the board include Lei Zhenjian and Steve Dainton.
Speaking on her new role, Sörling emphasised the need for strong leadership and financial sustainability.
“The ITTF has always been the foundation on which table tennis thrives, and WTT is our instrument to take it further,” she said. “As Chair of the Board, I am here to ensure that WTT operates with profitability, governance, accountability, and long-term vision.”
Oshodi, who also serves as President of the African Table Tennis Federation, said his focus would be on building a solid governance structure for the organisation’s long-term development.
“Strong governance is what gives an organisation the structure to grow sustainably. I look forward to contributing to that work as the Board focuses on putting solid foundations in place for WTT’s long-term development,” he said.
His appointment represents a historic milestone as he becomes the first African to serve as a full director on the WTT Board.
Since its creation in 2019, WTT has transformed the professional landscape of table tennis with a modern and commercially driven structure aimed at elevating the sport globally.
Oshodi’s elevation also strengthens Africa’s voice in global sports governance. He first rose to prominence as President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, where he introduced reforms focused on governance, transparency, grassroots development and talent identification.
He later emerged as President of ITTF Africa, championing initiatives to expand the sport across the continent, improve coaching standards and create more international opportunities for African players.
His appointment to the WTT Board is widely regarded as both a personal achievement and a continental milestone, underscoring Africa’s growing influence in the governance and future direction of world table tennis.
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