Ultimate Table Tennis 2024: The Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league returns for its fifth season, bringing exciting action to fans across India. Set to kick off on August 22, 2024, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, this season promises to be more thrilling than ever. With a total of eight teams and 48 players competing, including international stars and promising young talents, UTT 2024 is shaping up to be a major highlight in the table tennis calendar. The season will run until September 7, featuring a new format, star players, and a lot of competitive matches.
New UTT Format
This season, UTT has introduced a new format to accommodate the addition of two new teams. The league stage now involves dividing the eight teams into two groups of four. Each team will face all three teams in their group and play two matches against teams from the other group.
The top four teams based on points will advance to the knockout stage. The semi-finals will be arranged as follows: Team 1 vs Team 4 and Team 2 vs Team 3. This revised format ensures a more dynamic and engaging competition, giving fans more high-stakes matches to look forward to.
Matches will be held in a best-of-five format, including two men’s singles, two women’s singles, and one mixed doubles. This structure is designed to showcase the diverse skills of all players and add variety to the matches.
Players to Watch
The 2024 season of UTT features an impressive lineup of players, including top international stars and leading Indian paddlers.
International Stars:
- Bernadette Szocs: The World No. 10 from Romania will bring her exceptional skills and experience to the Ahmedabad SG Pipers.
- Nina Mittelham: Ranked World No. 16, Mittelham will be a key player for the Chennai Lions.
- Quadri Aruna: The Nigerian star, currently World No. 19, will be representing UMumba and is expected to be a major force in the league.
Indian Talents:
- Achanta Sharath Kamal: With a World Ranking of 40, Kamal is a seasoned player for the Chennai Lions and one to watch closely.
- Manika Batra: Ranked World No. 28, Batra will be playing for the Bengaluru Smashers and is known for her powerful game.
- Young Stars: The league will also highlight emerging talents like Yashaswini Ghorpade, Diya Chitale, and Poymantee Baisya, who are expected to make significant impacts.
The season will showcase a total of 48 players, including 16 internationals. The mix of experienced stars and promising newcomers adds an exciting dimension to the league.
Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 Squads
Ahmedabad SG Pipers:
- Bernadette Szocs (Romania)
- Jash Modi
- Lilian Bardet (France)
- Manush Shah
- Prita Vartikar
- Reeth Rishya
Chennai Lions:
- Abhinandh PB
- Jules Roland (France)
- Mouma Das
- Poymantee Baisya
- Sakura Mori (Japan)
- Sharath Kamal
Dabang Delhi:
- Andreas Levenko (Austria)
- Diya Chitale
- Lakshita Narang
- Orawan Paranang (Thailand)
- Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
- Yashansh Malik
Bengaluru Smashers:
- Alvaro Robels (Spain)
- Amalraj Antony
- Jeet Chandra
- Lily Zhang
- Manika Batra
- Taneesha Kotecha
Goa Challengers:
- Harmeet Desai
- Mihai Bobocica
- Sayali Wani
- Sudhanshu Grover
- Yangzi Liu (Australia)
- Yashaswini Ghorpade
Jaipur Patriots:
- Cho Seungmin (Korea)
- Moumita Dutta
- Ronit Bhanja
- Snehit
- Suthasini Saveettabut
- Nithyashree Mani
Puneri Paltan:
- Ankur Bhattacharjee
- Anirban Ghosh
- Ayhika Mukherjee
- Joao Monteiro (Portugal)
- Natalia Bajor (Poland)
- Yashini Sivasankar
UMumba:
- Akash Pal
- Kavyasree Baskar
- Manav Thakkar
- Maria Xiao (Spain)
- Quadri Aruna (Nigeria)
- Sutirtha Mukherjee
Schedule and Match Timing
The UTT 2024 season will feature an array of matches, with ties scheduled to start at 7:30 PM each evening. There will be six double-headers during the season. In these double-header days, the first match will begin at 5:00 PM, followed by the second at 7:30 PM.
The semi-finals are scheduled for September 5 and 6, with the grand final taking place on September 7. This ensures that fans will enjoy a concentrated burst of high-quality table tennis action as the season progresses towards its climax.
Previous Season Recap
In the previous edition of the league, held in Pune, the Goa Challengers emerged victorious. They secured the championship by defeating the Lions in a thrilling final. The Goa Challengers’ win marked a memorable conclusion to UTT Season 4, setting the stage for an even more competitive Season 5.
Where to Watch UTT Season 5
Fans eager to catch all the UTT action can tune in to Sports 18 and Jio Cinema. Both platforms will broadcast the matches live, providing comprehensive coverage of the league and ensuring that viewers don’t miss any of the exciting table tennis action.
FAQs
When does UTT Season 5 start and end?
UTT Season 5 starts on August 22, 2024, and ends on September 7, 2024.
How many teams are in UTT Season 5?
There are eight teams in UTT Season 5.
Where can I watch UTT Season 5?
You can watch UTT Season 5 live on Sports 18 and Jio Cinema.
Who won UTT Season 4?
The Goa Challengers won UTT Season 4 by defeating the Lions in the final.
