TTFI to review its contract with 11Even Sports

The TTFI’s Executive Board which met here on Tuesday, reviewed the UTT and concluded that there were several areas that needed to be looked into.

The TTFI’s Executive Board felt that the national body did not get its due during the UTT and felt ignored by the organiser, 11Even Sports.

The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has invited promoter 11Even Sports back to the discussion table after reviewing the contract that deals with domestic events and the Ultimate Table Tennis league.

The TTFI’s Executive Board which met here on Tuesday, reviewed the UTT and concluded that there were several areas that needed to be looked into.

The TTFI president Dushyant Chautala, who chaired the meeting, said, “Without doubt, the presentation of UTT was outstanding and exceeded everyone’s expectations. We wholeheartedly applaud the efforts of 11 Sports. Together we expect to take Indian table tennis to a new high.”

TTFI felt ignored

Reflecting on the areas of improvement, Chautala said, “The house felt the TTFI did not get its due during the UTT. As the governing body of the sport in the country, we felt ignored. We also deliberated on various facets of the league, including technical and logistical. We shall discuss everything in detail once we have the representatives of 11Even Sports here.”

One of the contentious issues facing TTFI was the clause the agreement pertaining to the sponsorship of domestic events.

Elaborating on the subject, TTFI secretary-general M. P. Singh said, “The cash component (₹6 lakh) offered by 11Even Sports for the title-sponsorship of a domestic-ranking tournament needs to be revised every year, by say 10 per cent.”

“Moreover, if a local organiser (of a zonal-ranking event) can get a sponsor who pays more than ₹6 lakh, he should be allowed to offer the title-sponsorship to the one who pays more.

“We feel this agreement should be revised in the interest of all organisers of National and domestic ranking events.”

In another decision that is likely to have far-reaching impact on the quality of competition in the national championship, the TTFI has proposed to invite the finalists of the inter-unit petroleum meet, inter-railway meet and inter-bank championship etc,. to the inter-institutional championship.

Even the individual entries from each of the inter-institutional semifinalist teams will be doubled to 16 and those from the quarterfinalist teams, to 12.

This will be a departure from the consolidated Petroleum and Railway teams taking part in the premier event. For the record, Petroleum men have been winning the team title for 24 years, while the Petroleum women have stayed undefeated for 23 years.

M.P. Singh sounded buoyant about the change. “This decision, once accepted by the institutions, should inject more interest in the team events, of both inter-institutions and National championship.”

“This will bring about a surge in employment for young, talented players and enhance winning prospects of the states in the National championship once some of the leading Petroleum players return to the State teams. It is a win-win situation for all.”