Omar Assar has ascended to the top of the African table tennis rankings following his performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Egyptian moved up five places to 17th in the world, surpassing Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, who was previously the highest-ranked player on the continent. Assar reached the quarterfinals of the men’s singles event, making history as the first African player to achieve this milestone agate also reaching the quarter-final in Tokyo 2020.
Aruna, eliminated in the first round of the Olympics, dropped one place to 20th in the world rankings.
Nigeria’s other representative in the men’s singles at the Olympics, Olajide Omotayo, climbed 12 places to be ranked 92nd globally and sixth in Africa.
Egypt’s Mohammed El-Beiali fell one spot to 48th in the world and remains third on the continent, while legendary Egyptian Ahmed Saleh is now 63rd in the world, down two places, and fourth in Africa.
Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw rose six places to 83rd in the world and fifth in Africa, while Congo’s Saheed Idowu rounded out the top 100, moving up 16 places to seventh on the continent.
In the women’s singles, Offiong Edem is the only Nigerian in the top 100, rising 14 places to 97th in the world despite an early exit from the Olympics. Nigeria’s other women’s singles player at the Olympics, debutant Fatimo Bello, also climbed 26 places—the second-highest rise among top 200 players—to 118th.
Egypt’s Dina Meshref continues to lead the women’s rankings in Africa, moving up two places to 24th in the world, while her compatriot Hana Goda rose one spot to 31st.
