Diaw, Edem lead African players’ rise in latest ITTF ranking

Following the conclusion of the table tennis event at the 13th African Games over the weekend, Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw and Nigeria’s Offiong Edem have led the rising of African players in the 2024 Week 11 ranking released on Tuesday March 12 by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

Diaw and Offiong were bronze medalists in the singles event and improved their world rating to be listed among the biggest movers in the world.

The Senegalese Diaw moved by 26 steps to be ranked 67 in the world while Edem gained 45 steps up to be rated 97 as the best ranked female Nigerian player in the world.

However, the biggest mover in the world is Algeria’s Lucie Mobarek, who was unranked before the African Games but moved by 544 steps to be ranked 103 in the world as the highest ranked Algerian female player in the world.

READ ALSO: Ronaldo’s Al Nassr out of Asian Champions League quarters

Men’s singles quarter-finalist, Khaled Assar of Egypt gained 146 steps to be rated 145 in the world.

The biggest beneficiaries are Tunisian trio of Wassim Essid, Youssef Ben Attia and Khalil Sta.

The Tunisians are bronze medalists in the men’s team event and gained steps in their world ranking.

Teenage sensation Essid gained 83 steps to be ranked 206, while Ben Attia and Sta gained 221 steps to be ranked 237 and 238 respectively.

Apart from Edem and Mobarek who gained steps in the women’s ranking, Algeria’s Mallisa Nasri, Ghana’s Cynthia Kwabi and Uganda’s Judith Nangonzi.

Nasri gained 78 steps to be ranked 211, Kwabi earned 113 steps to be rated 237 while Nangonzi gained 135 steps to be ranked 245 in the world.

Meanwhile, Quadri Aruna of Nigeria maintained his status as the best ranked African player in the world rated 11th while African Games champion Omar Assar of Egypt is rated 22nd in the world.

Egypt’s Dina Meshref and Hana Goda are still the best ranked African female players rated 26 and 30 respectively.