Runner’s up at the just concluded ITTF Africa Cup Fatimo Bello has joined the league of elite players in the top echelon of the world ranking as she became the first Nigerian female player to hit 52nd in the ITTF Ranking.
According to week 22 of the ITTF World Rankings released yesterday, African players dominated the movement this week, with teenage sensations staking their senior claim and table tennis mainstays finding new milestones to shatter late into their career.
Bello who edged out the tournament’s number four seed and compatriot Offiong Edem in the quarterfinal and number one seed cum African champion Mariam Alhodaby of Egypt in the semifinal gained 350points to be ranked 52nd in the world.
The Nigeria national women champion made her international debut as a cadet in 2010 at the Global Cadet Challenge in India and with this, she is the number four seed in Africa behind Goda, Alhodaby (41), and Dina Meshref (47).
Meanwhile, rave of the moment 14-year-old Hana Goda, cracked the Top 40 in the world after winning the 2022 ITTF Africa Cup last week to earn the number 33 in the world.
The Egyptian has also been balancing her international exposure to both the WTT Series and the WTT Youth Series events. Earlier this year she won the U19 Girls’ Singles title at the 2022 WTT Youth Star Contender Otocec and she is also now the World Youth No.2.
Also, Bose Odusanya gained 29 steps up to be ranked 181 while Western Region champion (men) Taiwo Mati gained 215 steps to be ranked 135th in the world.
In the meantime, Quadri Aruna maintained his status as the number 10 ranked player in the world while Africa Cup winner, Egypt’s Omar Assar dropped two steps to be rated 20th in the world.
However, Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali moved up by 106 steps to be rated 81 in the men’s ranking, while Cote d’Ivoire’s Oba Kizito Oba also gained 70 steps up to be ranked 132nd in the world.