Chennai to host Ultimate Table Tennis 2024, new format, new teams in fray

CHENNAI: Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), India’s premier table tennis league, is coming to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and will take place from August 22 to September 7 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.

For the first time, there will be eight teams competing for the top prize since the league’s inception in 2017. This significant expansion aims to elevate the standard of competition and foster the growth of emerging talent within the sport.

Two new teams will be making their debut in the tournament: Ahmedabad SG Pipers, led by former world number 1 in doubles Mahesh Bhupathi as its CEO, and Jaipur Patriots. Goa Challengers secured victory over former champions Chennai Lions in the preceding year, thus entering the league as defending champions for UTT 2024. Joining them are Dabang Delhi TTC, U Mumba TT, Puneri Paltan, Bengaluru Smashers, and the two new franchisees. 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, which will now be divided into two groups of four teams each. Each franchise 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.