Top-Egyptian table tennis player, Assar Omar, currently at the ongoing “Seamaster ITTF Challenge Nigeria Open’’, says his target is to make the ITTF top 20 rankings before the end of this year.
Omar told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos as the competition served off at the Molade-Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium that he would strive to achieve his desire.
The 26-year-old Omar, who is ranked 38th in the world, noted that his target was achievable through improvement and regular participation in ITTF sanctioned events.
“My target is to be among the top 20 players at the end of this year.
“I know it’s a quite difficult task because I will have to play in a lot of tournaments and reach my peak in every competition I participate,’’ he told NAN.
On the challenge, Omar, who is seeded 64, said he was delighted to be back in Nigeria to compete after missing out in the 2016 edition due to club engagement.
The three-time winner of the competition said the event had evolved greatly since its inception in 2014.
“It is always fun to play in Nigeria, the competition has improved over the years and more players and countries are participating.
“Nigeria is doing so much to stage this event and I hope Egypt, Morrocco, Tunisia and Algeria will come up with such challenge to up the sport in the continent,’’ he said.
NAN reports that 95 male and 55 female players from 22 countries are participating in ITTF Challenge.
The 46,000 dollars prize event will end on Aug. 13.