Chennai Lions retains Sharath for Ultimate TT

CHENNAI: India’s top-ranked men’s paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal (WR 51) and Asian Games bronze medallist Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (WR56) are among the four players retained by respective franchises for the Season 4 of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT).

Defending champion Chennai Lions has retained 10-time national champion, Sharath Kamal, while UTT Season 3 finalist Dabang Delhi TTC has decided to continue with Sathiyan at the fore. India’s star female paddler Manika Batra (WR39) has been retained by Bengaluru Smashers with the retention transfer originating from her former franchise, while Asian Games bronze medallist Manav Thakkar will continue at U Mumba TT.

“I am extremely happy to have been retained by Dabang Delhi TTC for the UTT Season 4 and this will be my fourth consecutive season for Dabang Delhi. The most unforgettable moment was certainly winning the championship point for Dabang Delhi in Season 2 and taking the UTT crown. I am eagerly looking forward to playing for the Delhi family again and winning the UTT this year,” Sathiyan Gnanasekaran said after being retained by his team.

The franchise-based league is promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India.

The upcoming season will feature six teams: Bengaluru Smashers, Chennai Lions, Dabang Delhi TTC, Goa Challengers, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis, and U Mumba TT.

At the recently concluded UTT Season 4 coach draft, franchises were able to pick up two coaches each; attention now turns towards building a six-player squad at the UTT Season 4 Player Draft to be held in Mumbai next month. There will be a pool of 40 players