Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), the Indian top table tennis league, is returning for an epic 2024 season. The forthcoming season dishes out a new format featuring eight teams.
The 2024 UTT welcomes two new challengers: Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots. With these additions, the league expands to eight teams, each boasting a dynamic combination of six players. Two players will be international stars, bringing global expertise to the court alongside India’s talented domestic athletes.
From August 22 to September 7, the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai will transform into a battleground for high-octane table tennis action. Fans can expect to see established powerhouses like Dabang Delhi TTC, U Mumba TT, Puneri Paltan, and Bengaluru Smashers go head-to-head in their quest for the championship title.
The reigning champions, Goa Challengers, will undoubtedly be determined to defend their title. But this season promises to be a nail-biter, with fierce competition from every direction.
Niraj Bajaj, Co-promoter of UTT, expressed his sentiments and said, “The introduction of additional teams will infuse a heightened level of competition, strategically coinciding with the post-Paris Games period to capitalize on the prevailing Olympic fervour nationwide. Moreover, the decision to host the league in Chennai pays tribute to the city’s esteemed sporting heritage, which has produced numerous legendary paddlers, but also reinforces our commitment to honouring its illustrious legacy.”
Vita Dani, Chairperson of UTT, emphasized, “The core mission behind UTT’s inception was to enhance the stature of table tennis in India, providing our players with a platform to compete against the world’s best and propel Indian table tennis to unprecedented heights. Recent historic victories by our Indian players against Chinese opponents and the National men’s and women’s teams qualifying for the Olympics through the world team rankings underscore this mission.”
This exciting announcement coincides with a momentous occasion for Indian table tennis – the men’s and women’s national teams have secured their spots in the Paris Olympics 2024.
Launched in 2017, UTT has become synonymous with table tennis in India. This franchise-based league, driven by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani with the support of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), has revolutionized the sport in the country. UTT has attracted top athletes and coaches from around the world, and in turn, fostered the rise of Indian stars like Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Manav Thakkar, Sutirtha Mukherjee, and Manika Batra.