Ultimate Table Tennis - the franchise-based table tennis league featuring star international paddlers - will resume after a three-year hiatus, with its fourth edition to be played in Pune from July 13 to 30.
“It’s unfortunate that the league couldn’t take place after 2019 but here we are again; as committed as we were on the first day in 2017 to take table tennis in this country to the next level. And to add another world class league to this vast mix in India,” co-promoter Niraj Bajaj said in a statement issued by the UTT promoters on Monday.
The fourth edition - to be played at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex - will see five of the six previous franchises contiuning from where they left in the last edition in 2019. They are U Mumba TT, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis, Goa Challengers, Dabang Delhi TTC and RPSG Mavericks Kolkata.
Pune-based Punit Balan Group has acquired Bengaluru Smashers, the new addition to the UTT family for the fourth edition. UTT is the latest foray of the group, which owns a franchise each in Ultimate Kho-Kho, Tennis Premier League and the Premier Handball League.
“We are absolutely delighted to announce the return of Ultimate Table Tennis. COVID put the league to a tough halt. But after three long years, our efforts to popularise and grow the sport in India will continue,” UTT chairperson Vita Dani said.
“Hand in hand with the TTFI we will continue to provide a platform for talent in the country. And I want to take this opportunity to thank the federation for its support.”
Kamlesh Mehta, the legendary paddler who was a director of UTT’s parent firm 11 Sports for the first three editions, has now been elected as the Secretary General of the Table Tennis Federation of India. He, along with president Meghna Ahlawat, wished UTT “all the success”.
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