The UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Tournament is set to begin on September 7 at the Thyagraj Stadium here, with some of India’s top names, including reigning national champion Diya Chitale and Commonwealth Games gold medallists G. Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai, headlining the field.
The tournament has received 2958 entries, reflecting the sport’s growing popularity. It is also the first time since 2008 that the Delhi State Table Tennis Association (DSTTA) is hosting a national ranking event. The last such tournament in the capital was organised in 2012 by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) with Haryana’s support.
DSTTA president Gurpreet Singh welcomed the overwhelming response.
“The number of entries, 2958, is a strong indicator of the interest the tournament has generated. I don’t remember the last time there were these many entries for a national ranking event. We are fully ready to host the event,” he said.
Running until September 14, the competition will feature 12 categories across senior, U-19, U-17, U-15, U-13 and U-11 levels.
Among the men, Sathiyan, Harmeet, Anthony Amalraj and Soumyajit Ghosh—who had drifted away from the national setup after his 2012 London Olympics appearance—will headline proceedings.
In the women’s draw, Chitale will start as favourite in a field also featuring veterans Mouma Das, Madhurika Patkar, Reeth Rishya and Divya Deshpande. A notable absentee is Delhi star Manika Batra, currently on international duty, whose world ranking has recently slipped to 55.
The organising committee includes national coach and Dronacharya awardee Sandeep Gupta, who underlined the event’s significance for youngsters.
“With so many national champions part of the field, it is a great opportunity for the budding players in Delhi to see them in flesh and blood and learn from them at the same time. Playing against the best in the country, they would also get to upskill themselves,” said Gupta.