It is being touted as the panacea for all the ills of the sport. Players, coaches and officials have said that the Ceat-Ultimate Table Tennis League beginning here on Thursday will take the image of Indian table tennis to a different level.
The reasons are not far to seek. Several paddlers from different countries ranked in the top 50 in the men’s and women’s sections will be contesting against each other, representing six different clubs.
And the prize money of ₹3 crore gives us an idea of the financial might of the tournament and the massive show that will be on view over the next eight days.
All the 24 Indian paddlers in the League, including the country’s leading and upcoming players, have been suitably rewarded.
UTT’s rules and regulations too have left nothing to chance, covering everyone from players to umpires and officials.
UTT organiser 11Even Sports Private Limited is regarded highly for its professionalism in conducting table tennis events.
The ITTF World Tour-Indian Open it conducted in February this year in New Delhi stands testimony to its professionalism.
Most of the league matches have been slotted in the city; Chennai will host eight, Delhi five while the remaining league games, semifinals and the final will be held in Mumbai.
One table only
There will one Tie everyday from 7.30 p.m. It could even go beyond 10.30 p.m. as only one table has been assigned for the nine matches.
Preparations are afoot to get the venue match-ready.
The ranking of players will not be affected whether they win or lose as it is an unofficial tournament, but it could well open a window of possibilities for all paddlers, especially the Indians.
With entry being free for the spectators, one can expect a decent turnout.
Sharath Kamal, India’s star paddler, admitted that table tennis infrastructure across the country “is not great,” with only a handful of quality centres.
He insisted that a lot needs to be done on that front.
He, however, added a hopeful note: “If UTT cannot address that problem, nothing can.”
