Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 29 : Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) is set to gear up for an exciting new season in Chennai. The tournament will kick off on August 22 and will conclude on September 7 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.
The UTT will be an eight-team league for the first time providing a platform for young Indian paddlers to exhibit their talent alongside the many elite players. This significant expansion of the tournament will aim to elevate the standard of competition and foster the growth of emerging talent in table tennis.
The league announced the inclusion of two franchises in the tournament, the Ahmedabad SG Pipers and the Jaipur Patriots.
"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," Chairperson of UTT Vita Dani was quoted in a release from UTT as saying.
Earlier, secured victory over former champions, Chennai Lions, in the preceding year, thus entering the league as defending champions for UTT 2024.
Each team will maintain a roster of six players, including two foreign players, as they all contend for the coveted title this season.
The format has undergone a slight alteration with the inclusion of eight teams, that will now be divided into two groups of four teams each. Each franchisee will continue to compete in five ties during the league stage, facing all other teams within their respective group once, alongside two randomly selected teams from the opposing group, determined through a draw.
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