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New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
For paddler Diya, mental strength helps her take huge strides
CHENNAI: DIYA Chitale's run in this season's Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) here may have ended in defeat after her narrow defeat to Sreeja Akula of the Jaipur Patriot in the deciding women's single match. But her demeanour with the paddle stood out in her performance, like it did in all her games. With a height of 4 foot 11 inches, Chitale has put on performances of tall proportions. She has put on dominant shows, and has shown her mental fortitude in high pressure situations. 'I knew it was going to be a close match. I think Sreeja (Akula) is a really amazing player and we have played each other many, many times. So, both of us know each other's game really well. So, I knew it was going to be a tough match. When the tie is at 7-7, it can be anybody's match. This is where I think it's more of the mental battle. And hats off to her. She was really calm in the end. And maybe I was a bit impatient,' she told this daily after her semi-final defeat on Saturday (June 14) She summarised the season with her franchise, Dabangg Delhi TTC. 'I had an amazing season last year with Delhi(where they lost the final to Goa). This year, we were unbeaten in the first four matches. But there's always going to be one winner and someone who loses. I am really very happy with how we played throughout the tournament and how we went about it,' she said.
NDTV
a day ago
- Sport
- NDTV
This Tennis Legend Keeps Ultimate Table Tennis Star Yashaswini Ghorpade Going. Not Sania Mirza
The Ultimate Table Tennis wrote a new chapter on the conclusion of its sixth edition as the tournament found a new winner. U Mumba gave a dominating performance and defeated Jaipur Patriots in the grand finale on June 15 in Ahmedabad and clinched their maiden UTT title. The entire Mumbai team performed like a single unit and did not even let Jaipur take a sigh of relief even for once during the match. With this performance, U Mumba etched their name in the history books of UTT. Although Yashaswini Ghorpade didn't feature in the final, her standout semi-final display epitomised U Mumba's collective strength this season. In the semis against Dempo Goa Challengers, U Mumba needed three victories in all the remaining three matches, in order to reach the final. However, Yashaswini held her nerves and defeated Krittwika Sinha Roy in the women's singles clash and took her side into the final. The 20-year-old played her first UTT season in 2024 with the Goa Challengers and went on to lift the title with them. In 2025, she was roped in by the U Mumba and surprisingly, she clinched the title again. Speaking to the media before the final, Yashaswini revealed that before the season, she was going through some tough time but she gathered herself back and gave an exemplary performance. "Last two-three months were quite difficult for me. Before this season, I was a bit down but things changed when I came here. It is amazing to be around many champion players and the team environment always lifts me up," said Yashaswini. While replying to a query from NDTV, Yashaswini also stated that tennis legend Roger Federer is her biggest motivation. "Roger Federer is my biggest motivation. I always sees his matches and even his workout and fitness routines to keep myself going. He is the biggest inspiration and I also want to achieve something like that," she said. Talking about the grand finale, wins for Lilian Bardet and Bernadette Szocs gave U Mumba an early lead, before Szocs and Akash Pal swept the mixed doubles 3-0 to take them to the brink. Teenager Abhinandh PB sealed the title with a clutch game win in the fourth match.
NDTV
a day ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"Always Hear Stories About Indian Army": UTT 6 Star Sreeja Akula Reveals Her Biggest Motivation
The sixth edition of the Ultimate Table Tennis concluded on June 15 with U Mumba defeating Jaipur Patriots in the summit clash and clinching the title. After putting a dointing show, U Mumba etched their name in the history books and lifted their maiden UTT title. Wins for Lilian Bardet and Bernadette Szocs gave U Mumba an early lead, before Szocs and Akash Pal swept the mixed doubles 3-0 to take them to the brink. Teenager Abhinandh PB sealed the title with a clutch game win in the fourth match. Despiite being on the losing side, the 2025 of UTT was a memorable one for young sensation Sreeja Akula. The 26-year-old star played for the Jaipur Patriots and played an important role in their journey to the grand finale. On the eve of the finale, Sreeja spoke to NDTV and expressed her gratitude of being a part of UTT 6 and how the tournament helped her with her game. "This journey was amazing. The team is very supportive. All the players stood like a single unit and performed in every game. The success of Jaipur Patriots is entirely because of the team effort and not because of any single person. My aim was just to give my best and implement what I have learnt so far," Sreeja told NDTV. Jaipur Patriots defeated Dabang Delhi in the semi-final match 8-7, where Sreeja was the standout performer for her side. Talking about her biggest motivation in life, the paddler stated that the urge of winning a medal for the country always keeps her going. Sreeja further revealed that she has been playing table tennis since the age of eight and she always motivated by seeing the hardwork of the Indian army. "I started playing table tennis at the age of eight. My father used to play it, not professionally but as a hobby. He joined my sister initially and seeing my sister, I also started playing. I won my first international medal when I was 11. So, there was confusion as I was also good in studies and scored 96% in class 12. My parents and I were confused whether to pursue the sport or do something academically," said Sreeja. "Later, my sister and my coach motivated my that I should focus on table tennis and that's how I got into the game. Moreover, I am also motivated by the Indian army and want to do something for my country. I always hear the stories of the sacrifices they are making so that motivates me to do something," she added. After years of hardwork, success came in the form of the prestigious Arjuna Award for Sreeja in 2022.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
UTT 6 season review: Rising talent, better games — but the same old hurdles
The broadcast equipment was boxed up. The chairs were covered and stacked. The centre of attention — the nine-feet-long, five-feet-wide, two-and-a-half-feet-high table — was disassembled. As the clock approached midnight on June 15, the indoor stadium at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad was on the verge of complete dismantling. For 16 days, the temporary venue had hosted the sixth season of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league, which ended with the crowning of a new champion, U Mumba, after its 8-4 win over Jaipur Patriots in a summit clash between two first-time finalists. The franchise-based league, staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, had previously been held in Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. Ahmedabad's selection as the latest host served two purposes — reaching a new live audience and furthering the city's emergence as a hub for Olympic sports, particularly in the context of India's bid for the 2036 Summer Games. In the previous season, held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai after the Paris Olympics, the majority of the 2,000 available seats were empty on most matchdays. In Ahmedabad, the capacity was halved for a more intimate setting. The cheapest ticket was priced at Rs 49, while premium hospitality ones went up to Rs 1,999. Corporate tournaments were held as part of a pre-event local activation campaign, but as with UTT 5, there were days when the EKA Arena looked sparsely populated. The recent tension between India and Pakistan, following the terror attack in Pahalgam, led to a rescheduling of the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs — one of the biggest events in Indian sport. The Eliminator (June 1) and the IPL Final (June 3), both held in Ahmedabad, clashed with two of the first four days of UTT 6. On both days, UTT hosted single ties starting at 5pm, two-and-a-half hours before the IPL matches — but the stands were nearly empty. From June 4 to 7, a state-ranking tournament was being held in Bhavnagar, 170 km from Ahmedabad, which reduced the chances of local players and fans attending UTT in the opening phase. However, fixtures involving tournament debutant Kolkata ThunderBlades had a vibrant atmosphere, thanks to an enthusiastic cheering squad and dholwalas supporting the baby-blue-clad team. The co-owners — Ketan Jain and Rajat Kumar, both former national-level players — set a fan engagement template later adopted by the Patriots. The season ended on a relatively upbeat note, with around 500 spectators attending each of the two semifinals and a near-capacity crowd present for the final. Also, with 20 million viewers tuning in across TV and OTT platforms last season, and a broadcast deal with JioStar running until 2027, the organisers may not be overly concerned about live audience numbers and might let that aspect evolve organically. From a talent perspective, UTT 6 featured top international names like World No. 12 Bernadette Szocs, World No. 17 Adriana Díaz, World No. 25 Quadri Aruna, World No. 34 Ricardo Walther and World No. 42 Britt Eerland. For the first time since the inaugural edition in 2017, a Chinese player — Fan Siqi — participated. She was the most valuable player at UTT's first-ever auction in April. World No. 12 Bernadette Szocs was one of the star attractions at this year's UTT. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI For India, established players such as Harmeet Desai (Dempo Goa Challengers), Sreeja Akula (Jaipur Patriots), and G. Sathiyan (Dabang Delhi TTC) featured, but there were notable absentees. Ahmedabad SG Pipers' Manika Batra was ruled out two days before the tournament due to injury. Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah — the country's top two male paddlers and both Gujaratis — missed out due to commitments in foreign leagues. For a league built as a platform to boost Indian table tennis, their absence was a blow. At the same time, eight Indian players made their UTT debuts, with several putting in standout performances. U Mumba's Akash Pal, who didn't get a game in UTT 5, justified his retention by becoming the best Indian doubles player this season. P.B. Abhinandh, a 17-year-old from Chennai and a Mumbai franchise member, shocked Olympian Izaac Quek on debut, bagged a crucial game in the semifinal against the Challengers, and secured the title-winning point in the final. Youngsters Ankur Bhattacharjee, Yashaswini Ghorpade, and Diya Chitale also strengthened their claims as rising stars. A new Under-15 event titled Dream UTT Juniors, won by the ThunderBlades, was a welcome addition. The quality of play steadily improved. Both semifinals were tightly contested, with the second one decided on a Golden Point in the 15th and final game. In the league stage, 11 of 20 ties ended with either 8-7 or 9-6 scorelines. The semifinal qualification cut-off was 41 points — the highest in the last three seasons. Dabang Delhi's Maria Xiao and G. Sathiyan in action against Goa Challengers' Zeng Jian and Harmeet Desai during UTT Season 6 in Ahmedabad. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI All eight teams fought fiercely for every point, and controversies naturally followed — over let calls, questionable service motions, and close edge-ball decisions that challenged even the keenest eyes. 'The review system was recently trialled at the ITTF World Cup and the ITTF World Championships but hasn't been implemented fully. Hopefully, once it becomes permanent on the WTT circuit, we may see it in upcoming UTT seasons too,' said Desai. Some coaches and players also advocated for the inclusion of one-minute timeouts, already standard on the international circuit. John Murphy, coach of champion U Mumba, suggested a tweak to the tie format: 'Instead of following the set sequence of men's singles, women's singles, mixed doubles, reverse men's singles and reverse women's singles, the team winning the toss should be allowed to choose whether to start with a male or female player. For a team like us with Bernadette Szocs, we'd want her to open the tie. It could also prevent the final singles from always being a women's match.' Jorg Bitzigeio, coach of the bottom-placed Stanley's Chennai Lions, called for an end to player retentions in future auctions. 'Among Indian male players, two (Desai and Sathiyan) are strong in both singles and doubles, offering more tactical options. Others are either still developing in one format or the other. These two have always been retained [Sathiyan wasn't retained but stayed at Dabang]. It's better if there's no retention,' he said. Attracting more global stars and top coaches doesn't seem to be a concern for UTT. Indian paddlers have shown marked improvement in international results since the league's inception in 2017 — winning 15 Commonwealth Games medals, three at the Asian Games, and seven at the Asian Championships. But when it comes to the financial health of franchises, the picture is mixed. The league expanded from six to eight teams last year. For UTT 6, ThunderBlades replaced Bengaluru Smashers and Puneri Paltan rebranded as PBG Pune Jaguars. 'Goa have made money. Like that, if the franchises put in little effort, they'll all break even soon,' said Dani on the morning of the final. 'You may have noticed that many of these franchises now have started getting sponsors, reflected by their jerseys. That's a sign that people believe in our model, the game and the league as a property. 'Of course, it will take a little time but we are moving in the right direction and quickly. For us, as league owners, our ROI is in how Indian table tennis does more than financials because we are not here to only make money. It is more important that as a country, we do well.' Across six editions, there have been 16 franchises. Of these, only the Challengers has turned a profit — largely thanks to its back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. Related Topics UTT
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
UTT: Players, coaches happy with format, seek more flexibility
CHENNAI: PLAYERS and coaches credited the format of the Ultimate Table Tennis behind its growth. While they were full of praise for the mixed doubles matches, they felt rules on the order of play could be flexible. The final at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad saw higher attendance than it did in the semifinals on Friday and Saturday. Paddlers and coaches summed up their feelings about the tournament, and put forth suggestions for next season. John Murphy, the foreign coach of 2025 champions U Mumba, has been a long-time follower of this league. He expressed his happiness in being a part of the league and hopes to be a part of it next season. He suggested, 'I think that when you win the toss, I think maybe having the option to be able to start with men or women.' This is regarding the fixed format of having to start a tie between two teams only with a men's singles' match, followed by women's singles' match, the mixed doubles, then another men's singles, and finishing with the women's singles. 'I think, if you have someone like Bernie (Bernadette Szocs, U Mumba) in your team, starting her early in the match, I think it can be something exciting for the league and I think it can also change that dynamic. We can start a 7-7 tie with a men's match or a women's match, of our choice,' he told reporters post the final. He also wanted to see a little more emphasis on the draw. "I would also like to see flexibility for teams to be able to decide whether men or women start," he added. The mixed doubles matches have been the standout part of the league. Coaches and players have relished the prospect of being part of this match. Pavel Rehorek, foreign coach of runners up Jaipur Patriots, called it a 'table tennis party.' Rehorek's career as a coach has seen his teams dominate European table tennis. He has led TTC Neuhausen, a table tennis team in Switzerland, to 14 league titles. But, being in the UTT, has been the most exciting experience for the Czechia coach. "The quality of players is fantastic. You see good players even in teams finishing fifth, sixth and seventh," he added. That excitement, according to Patriots paddler from the United States Kanak Jha, is also seen amongst TV viewers. 'I think what UTT has now is a good league product. The fact that it's a mixed team, it's relatively short, so it's good for the spectators. The people don't want to stay too long where it gets boring. They have everything in three sets, so every set comes at one point. It's a good system because even if a team is down, people still stay to watch. So in this way, I think the product that they've created is good here for the spectators and for TV viewers,' he said. With regards to expanding the league, he said, "More teams is always helpful. more players, especially the foreign players, I think play a quite important role because they bring a little bit more of that star power and the high level to the league matches.'
