Quadri ends 2015 in top 50, as Assar remains Africa’s best

From starting the year among the top 30 players in the world, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri ended 2015 as number 50, according to the latest ranking released on Tuesday by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
 
However, Egypt ‘s Omar Assar, who started the year as number 43 finished as Africa’s best rated player in the world by occupying 31st in the latest ITTF ranking.
 
This year, Quadri featured in more than five ITTF World Circuits with his best being the Lagos Open where he played in the final against Assar. But in Europe, he took part in the German, Spanish, Polish, Croatia and Swedish Opens, just he was also in Kuwait and Qatar Opens where he managed to make it to the last 32 in some of this tournament. His best outing in Europe was at the Croatia Open where he made it to the last 16.

In Africa, twice he played second fiddle to Egypt’s Assar at the African Senior Cup in Cameroun and African Games in Congo Brazzaville.
 
Despite these, Quadri, whose performance at the 2014 World Cup in Germany earned him the 2014 ITTF Star Player award, attracted a lot of European teams from Germany and France but the Oyo State-athlete decided to pitch his tent with Jura Morez in the French elite league, while he also feature for Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.
 
Former national coach, Babatunde Obisanya, believes Quadri has not utilised his potential considering his rare skills.

“I think Quadri has not really lived up to expectations considering the kind of potential he has. For a player to make it to the top 30, it is no child’s play and for him to have ended the year at 50 shows that he needs to work harder in 2016.

“I believe he can remain among the top 20 but he just needs to get the cooperation of those that matters in the sport and he also needs full support as well. I believe he can make it up there in 2016 if he continues to work hard,” Obisanya said.