Dawn of a new era for Table Tennis?

Chennai: Hope is in the air as table tennis enters a brave new era of professionalism with a franchise-based tournament getting under way here on Thursday. There is palpable excitement among paddlers about the Ultimate Table Tennis league, which they believe will drag their sport out of obscurity in India. Everyone concerned with TT will be hoping that it’s not a false dawn.

For the first time, table tennis will attempt to become a TV sport as UTT will be telecast on various platforms — Star Sports Select 2 HD, Star Sports Select 2, Hotstar and JioTV.

UTT’s success will depend on its ability to catch eyeballs because table tennis has never been a spectator sport in India. The new league will also be hoping to lure youngsters into TT’s fold.

A match-up between Mavericks and Falcons at the Nehru Stadium here will set the ball rolling in the ambitious league. It would only be fitting that Achanta Sharath Kamal, a local hero and India’s top-ranked player, will spearhead Mavericks’ challenge. Wu Yang, world no. 13 and the only player from mainland China, will headline Falcons’ line-up. Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand will inaugurate the league.

In addition to Falcons and Mavericks, Dabang Smashers, Maharashtra United, Yoddhas and Challengers are in the fray for the winners’ cheque of `3 crore. Every franchisee have four foreign and four Indian players. Women have equal representation. Two coaches, one foreign and one Indian, will be in charge of each team. After the first leg in Chennai, the league caravan will move to New Delhi from July 21 to 25. The inaugural edition will culminate with the final leg in Mumbai from July 26 to 30. World no. 7 Wong Chung Ting of Hong Kong, the top seed in the men’s section, will turn out for United. At No. 9, Germany’s Han Ying has the best rank among the women and she dons Challengers.

Former national champion Kamlesh Mehta, director of a company which is promoting the league, said: “The league is going to help the growth of table tennis. I’m happy that Chennai is the venue for the first leg because it’s home to some of the best paddlers in the country.”

According to Sharath, he would have stayed back in India had the league started 15 years ago. “I wouldn’t have gone to Europe. UTT will be great exposure for youngsters.  If the league succeeds, India can become a dominant force in TT,” he said.

Action Today: Falcons vs Mavericks (Star Sports Select 2 & HD 2) 7.30pm

Hope is in the air as table tennis enters a brave new era of professionalism with a franchise-based tournament getting under way here on Thursday. There is palpable excitement among paddlers about the Ultimate Table Tennis league, which they believe will drag their sport out of obscurity in India. Everyone concerned with TT will be hoping that it’s not a false dawn.

For the first time, table tennis will attempt to become a TV sport as UTT will be telecast on various platforms — Star Sports Select 2 HD, Star Sports Select 2, Hotstar and JioTV.

UTT’s success will depend on its ability to catch eyeballs because table tennis has never been a spectator sport in India. The new league will also be hoping to lure youngsters into TT’s fold.

A match-up between Mavericks and Falcons at the Nehru Stadium here will set the ball rolling in the ambitious league. It would only be fitting that Achanta Sharath Kamal, a local hero and India’s top-ranked player, will spearhead Mavericks’ challenge. Wu Yang, world no. 13 and the only player from mainland China, will headline Falcons’ line-up. Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand will inaugurate the league.

In addition to Falcons and Mavericks, Dabang Smashers, Maharashtra United, Yoddhas and Challengers are in the fray for the winners’ cheque of `3 crore. Every franchisee have four foreign and four Indian players. Women have equal representation. Two coaches, one foreign and one Indian, will be in charge of each team. After the first leg in Chennai, the league caravan will move to New Delhi from July 21 to 25. The inaugural edition will culminate with the final leg in Mumbai from July 26 to 30. World no. 7 Wong Chung Ting of Hong Kong, the top seed in the men’s section, will turn out for United. At No. 9, Germany’s Han Ying has the best rank among the women and she dons Challengers.

Former national champion Kamlesh Mehta, director of a company which is promoting the league, said: “The league is going to help the growth of table tennis. I’m happy that Chennai is the venue for the first leg because it’s home to some of the best paddlers in the country.”

According to Sharath, he would have stayed back in India had the league started 15 years ago. “I wouldn’t have gone to Europe. UTT will be great exposure for youngsters.  If the league succeeds, India can become a dominant force in TT,” he said.

Action Today: Falcons vs Mavericks (Star Sports Select 2 & HD 2) 7.30pm