Newly-crowned West African champions Matthew Kuti and Hope Udoaka are the biggest movers in the Week 18 of the 2024 ITTF Ranking released by the world body on Tuesday, April 30.
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Kuti, who defeated most of the experienced players in the region to become the new regional champion while Udoaka, who in 2023 emerged as the West Africa University Games (WAUG) champion, added the regional laurel to her feather after maintaining a flawless display to win the title in Lome, Togo at the weekend.
From the ranking list, Kuti moved up by 750 steps in the men’s singles to be ranked 185 in the world, being his career best in the world rating.
The teenager, a member of the silver-winning Nigeria’s men’s team at the 13th African Games in Ghana is fast warming himself into the mind of table tennis fans across the world with his excellent display at major competition has been touted as one of the biggest stars to have emerged from Nigeria after Quadri Aruna.
Like Kuti, Udoaka also has a change of fortunes in the ranking as the Nigeria national champion gained 365 steps up to the rated 173 in the world as the fourth best ranked Nigeria female player in the world after the trio of Offiong Edem, Fatimo Bello and Tosin Oribamishe.
Like Kuti, Muiz Adegoke also gained 591 steps up the ranking ladder to occupy 332nd spot in the world rating.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Omar Assar continued to improve his world rating after the African Games champion gained more points to secure a back-to-back career in the ITTF Ranking.
The Egyptian had ended his years of waiting to break into his best ranking when he rose to 14th in the Week 17 ranking and as if that was not enough, Assar improved his rating to 13 in the Week 18 rating. With 300 points, Assar is knocking at the door of the world top 10, a feat that has been achieved by his continental rival – Quadri Aruna.
Also, Aruna held on to his 19th spot in the world as he hopes to fight his way back to the top through the Saudi Arabia Smash which serves off on Wednesday, May 1.
