Matthew Kuti has overtaken 2019 African Games gold medallist Olajide Omotayo to become Nigeria’s second-highest ranked male table tennis player in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Rankings for Week 32 of the 2025 season, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Kuti climbed six places to 194th in the world, following his impressive title-winning performance at the 2025 West Africa Regional Championships in Lagos, which earned him 75 ranking points. He also secured an additional 10 points at the ITTF World Championships Finals in Doha, and four more from the WTT Contender Lagos, bringing his total to 89 points.

In contrast, Omotayo slipped 37 places to 198th after a poor outing in Lagos, leaving him with 78 points and teetering on the edge of the top 200.

Meanwhile, Quadri Aruna reclaimed his position as Africa’s highest-ranked table tennis player. Despite not competing recently, Aruna moved up three spots to 21st globally with 1,185 points. His return to the top spot on the continent comes as the ITTF’s rolling 12-month system phased out older ranking points for rival players.

Egypt’s Omar Assar, who briefly held the number one position in Africa, has now dropped behind Aruna in the global rankings.

Elsewhere, Nigeria continues to show depth in the men’s rankings:

• Abdulbasit Abdulfatai rose two spots to 205th with 74 points, all earned in Lagos. He claimed 55 points as the runner-up at the West Africa Regional Championships and another 19 from the WTT Contender Lagos.
• Taiwo Mati remains at 213th and holds the distinction of being Nigeria’s most travelled player. He earned 35 points after reaching the Round of 16 at WTT Contender Lagos—the joint-best performance by an African at the event—and 25 points from a semi-final finish at the West Africa Regional Championships. Additional contributions came from appearances in Cagliari (3 points), and Muscat, Tunis, and Skopje (2 points each).
• Muizz Adegoke also made modest progress, moving up two places to 232nd with a total of 59 ranking points.

In the women’s category, Fatimo Bello remains Nigeria’s top-ranked female player despite dropping 17 places to 134th. Her semi-final run at the 2025 ITTF African Cup in Tunis accounted for 175 of her 189 points, with the remainder coming from events in Lagos and Doha.

Ajoke Ojomu climbed five places to 153rd after earning 120 points—75 from her victory at the West Africa Regional Championships, 35 from WTT Contender Lagos, and 10 from the World Championships in Doha.

Aminat Fashola completes Nigeria’s top three female players, sitting 174th with 94 points.

The ITTF World Ranking remains a key benchmark for international seedings, Olympic qualification, and global recognition, underscoring the growing competitiveness of Nigeria’s table tennis contingent on the world stage.