Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) is back for its fourth season scheduled to be held at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mahalunge-Balewadi in Pune from July 13 to 30. The franchise-based league, promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), has been instrumental in showcasing the immense talent of emerging Indian table tennis players. Here are seven Indian players to watch out for in UTT Season 4. (Pics: UTT)
Updated On: 2023-07-03 08:44 PM IST
Compiled by : Raaina Jain
Achanta Sharath Kamal (WR 54, Chennai Lions)
Besides his four-Olympic appearances, Sharath Kamal is also a 10-time national champion. He, alongside Manika Batra, won the historic bronze at the 2018 Asian Games. In the Season 3 of UTT, Sharath secured the championship title for Chennai Lions by defeating Dabang Delhi TTC in the final. Gold and silver medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he has also been awarded the Khel Ratna, the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri.
Manika Batra (WR 38, Bengaluru Smashers)
Manika Batra became the first Indian to win a medal at Asian Games in 2018. In 2022, she became the first woman to win an Asian Cup medal - a bronze. She bagged two gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. In the second season of UTT, she played a vital role in leading the Dabang Delhi TTC team to victory alongside Sathiyan Gnanasekaran. She will turn out for Bengaluru Smashers in the forthcoming edition.
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (WR 60, Dabang Delhi TTC)
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran achieved a career-best world ranking of 24 in 2019, making him the first Indian paddler to break into the world top 25. He was a key member of the Indian team that won gold medals at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Arjuna awardee spearheaded Dabang Delhi TTC’s title charge in UTT Season 3 helping them reach the finals.
Manav Thakkar (WR 107, U Mumba TT)
Former World No 1 in the U-18 and U-21 ITTF Men’s rankings, Manav Thakkar is a rising star on the Indian table tennis circuit. After starting his journey at a young age, Manav achieved success at the Asian Championships with a bronze medal. He was retained by U Mumba TT for UTT Season 4 after having participated in three UTT editions already.
Sreeja Akula (WR 99, Dabang Delhi TTC)
In 2022, Sreeja Akula became the first Telangana woman to clinch the senior nationals title. She was part of the Indian squad that won gold medal in mixed doubles event with Sharath Kamal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She also won gold in women’s doubles and women’s team events at the 2019 South Asian Games. Although Sreeja has only participated in one edition of UTT, she was naturally Dabang Delhi TTC's first pick.
Sutirtha Mukherjee (WR 116, Chennai Lions)
Two-time national champion Sutirtha Mukherjee has left her mark on UTT with some brilliant performances. She clinched three gold medals — singles, mixed doubles and team — at the South Asian Games in 2019. Recently, the 27-year-old made headlines after bagging the doubles title at the WTT Contender in Tunis last month alongside Ayhika Mukherjee.
Harmeet Desai (WR 71, Goa Challengers)
The 29-year-old paddler from Surat, was part of the squad that won gold in the men’s team event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Harmeet also won the gold in men’s doubles, mixed doubles and men’s team events at the South Asian Games 2019 held in Kathmandu. This level of consistency had Goa Challengers pick him first in the UTT Season 4 Player Draft .
