Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has overtaken Egypt’s Omar Assar to become Africa’s highest-ranked player in the world, now sitting at 18th in the week 12 ranking released on Tuesday.
Aruna moved up from 19th place in week 11 to 18th in the latest ranking, while Assar dropped from 17th to 19th.
Denmark’s Jonathan Groth took over Assar’s 17th place, moving up from 18th.
Despite finishing as runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, Aruna’s impressive performances at the WTT tournaments this year have boosted his ranking.
Aruna remains the only African male player to have reached the semi-finals of the WTT Contender Doha, repeating his 2023 feat earlier this year in January.
This achievement has propelled him ahead of Assar, who beat him to become the champion of the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup.
Aruna’s next tournament is the WTT Contender Chennai which serves off in India from March 23 to 20.
In the women’s singles, Egypt’s Hana Goda maintained her top spot in Africa, moving up one place to 26th in the week 12 ITTF ranking. Her compatriot, Dina Meshref, remained static at 33rd, holding her position as the second-best-ranked female player in Africa.
China’s Wang Chuqin retained his position as the second-best player globally, behind his compatriot Lin Shidong, who continues to hold the top spot. Japanese superstar Tomokazu Harimoto dethroned China’s Liang Jingkun as the third-best player in the world after his semifinal finish in Chongqing.
In the women’s ranking, the top five remained unchanged, with China’s Sun Yingsha holding onto her top spot after retaining her WTT Champions Chongqing title.

Mr Mike Okiro, former Inspector-General of Police( I-G), has called on warring factions in the Rivers crisis to lay down their arms and engage in peaceful dialogue to find a lasting solution that benefits all parties.

This is contained in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, where Okiro expressed concern about the political unrest that plagued the state for nearly two years.

The Tide source reports that President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers following persistent crisis there.

Tinubu had earlier presided over a high-level emergency meeting involving principal officers of the National Assembly and top security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja over the River crisis.

This followed the political standoff in Rivers, which raised tensions, leading to fears of instability in the state.

The meeting also followed a pipeline explosion that rocked the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo Community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers.

The blast, which occurred late on Monday near the Bodo-Bonny Road, further heightened concerns over security and stability in the oil-rich region.

Declaring the state of emergency in a broadcast on national television afterwards, the president said the decision had become compelling after the Governor and his Deputy failed to seek presidential intervention.

Meanwhile, the former I-G urged the parties to exercise caution and respect human rights.

Okiro said “I call on all warring factions to lay down their arms and engage in peaceful dialogue to find a resolution that will benefit all the parties.”

He highlighted the need for unity, dialogue and respect for human rights to overcome the current crisis in the area.

He recalled his successful efforts in spearheading the amnesty programme for the Niger Delta region in 2009, which brought peace to the area after years of militancy.

He emphasised the importance of working together as a community to ensure the safety and well-being of citizens during challenging times.

He called for a peaceful and sustainable solution that upholds the principles of democracy and respects the rights of all individuals.

Okiro said he is ready to work with other elders and stakeholders in the state to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

“Just over two weeks ago, I was about to form a committee of elders and stakeholders in Rivers to address this political impasse,” he said.

He, however, urged all parties involved to comply with directives from the President and work toward  peaceful resolution of the issues at stake.