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Table Tennis | The Charge of the Youth Brigade at UTT

admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:11:00 +0000

Youngsters like (clockwise from top left) Abhinandh, Syndrela, Ankur and Sayali have served up memorable contests by producing performances rich in skill, composure and daring that fans are likely to cherish for a long time.
| Photo Credit: Butterfly UTT

The Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 has once again lived up to its reputation of giving youngsters the platform to showcase their potential and they have grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

At the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium here, it has been these young paddlers who have injected the league with energy, fearlessness and fresh ambition. Time and again, they have delivered much-needed breakthroughs for their franchises, swung the momentum with fearless performances, thrown the rankings out of the window, and in the process, propelled their teams ahead in the race for crucial points.

They have served up memorable contests for the modest gathering at the stadium and the OTT audience by producing performances rich in skill, composure and daring that fans are likely to cherish for a long time.

It was P.B. Abhinandh of Dempo Goa Challengers who opened the floodgates for Gen Z. The 18-year-old matched 25-year-old Frenchman Lilian Bardet in both attack and defence by displaying maturity that belied his age.

It was refreshing to see him with such freedom, composure and nonchalance, and his victory unleashed a wave that continued through to 20-year-old Sayali Wani of UP Prometheans defeating Ahmedabad APL Pipers’ Manika Batra on Tuesday.

The paddler who has borne the brunt of the ‘youth aggression’ has been Manika, a three-time Olympian and multiple Commonwealth Games medallist. The 31-year-old has lost all her singles matches so far. While her defeat to Anna Hursey could perhaps be dismissed as an off day against an accomplished international, her losses to 16-year-old Syndrela Das and 20-year-old Sayali cannot be viewed in the same light.

The manner in which Syndrela dismantled Manika was a lesson in fearless, attacking table tennis. The teenager had an answer to every variation Manika’s racquet could conjure up and her backhand down-the-line and crosscourt winners repeatedly left the veteran stranded.

Equally impressive was HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades’ Ankur Bhattacharjee’s victory over 33-year-old G. Sathiyan. A powerhouse of talent, the 19-year-old produced a masterclass in aggressive play, refusing to yield an inch, as he relentlessly attacked and broke through Sathiyan’s famed defence. His celebration of standing atop the table after the victory, however, was not in the spirit of the game.

Taneesha Kotecha’s win over Diya Chitale, Payas Jain’s victory against Manush Shah, and the high-quality contests featuring Abhinandh against Ankur and Payas illustrated how far the country’s young paddlers have progressed. Their shot-making, tactical awareness and ability to absorb pressure reflected a generation that is no longer content merely to compete with established names.

At the same time, there remains considerable room for improvement. Syndrela, for instance, struggled against the anti-spin rubber used by Kolkata’s Ayhika Mukherjee, highlighting the need to adapt better to different styles and equipment.

Mixed doubles remains an area in which the youngsters can improve. Barring UP’s Swastika Ghosh, who has shown the ability to adapt, the rest have quite a long way to go.

This season has demonstrated that Indian table tennis has a vibrant pipeline of talent and that a new generation is keen to take the sport to greater heights.

Published – July 15, 2026 08:41 pm IST

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India’s disappointing campaign at World TT ends with women’s round of 32 loss to U.S.

admin — Wed, 06 May 2026 20:58:00 +0000

Manika Batra in action. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

India’s underwhelming campaign at the World Table Tennis Team Championships ended with women’s 1-3 loss to USA in the round of 32 here.

The men too lost in a round of 32 clash against Austria on Tuesday.

Manika Batra was the only one who made an impact in the rubber, winning her singles against Reyes Jessica 11-2, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4.

In the opening singles, Yashaswini Ghorpade was blanked by Moyland Sally 0-3 (8-11, 8-11, 7-11). Diya Chitale too could not compete against Chinese origin player Lily Zhang, going down 0-3 (8-11, 7-11, 11-13).

India’s fate was decided when Manika lost to Sally 12-10, 9-11, 3-11, 11-13 in her second singles.

Published – May 07, 2026 02:58 am IST

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India’s Manika Batra Shocks World No. 14, Enters World Table Tennis Champions Quarter-Finals

admin — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 08:32:40 +0000

File image of Manika Batra.© X (Twitter)

Star Indian paddler Manika Batra shocked world No.14 Bernadette Szocs of Romania to enter the women singles quarterfinals of the WTT Champions event in Montpellier, France. The world No. 30 Indian won 3-1 (11-9 6-11 13-11 11-9) in 29 minutes against the eighth-seeded Szocs in a round of 16 match on Friday night. Batra, a multiple Commonwealth Games medallist, saved two game points in the third game to keep her nose ahead and then sealed the tie in the next game, converting her second match point.

Batra now enjoys a 6-5 lead in the head-to-head record against Szocs.

She had also defeated Szocs in India’s 3-2 win over Romania in the pre-quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics.

Batra will next face China’s Qian Tianyi on Saturday.

World No. 21 Qian stunned top seed and compatriot Wang Yidi 3-0 (11-7 11-9 13-11) in another round of 16 match.

Batra had defeated USA’s Lily Zhang 3-0 (11-4 11-8 12-10) in the first round.

The other Indian in fray in women’s singles, Sreeja Akula had lost 2-3 (11-6, 7-11, 1-11, 11-8, 8-11) against world No. 13 Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico in the first round.

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Indian Women Win Maiden Medal In Team Event In Asian TT Championships

admin — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 11:59:55 +0000

Manika Batra in action© AFP

The Indian women TT players on Wednesday created history by winning their first-ever medal — a bronze — at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, after losing to Japan 1-3 in the semifinals. This is India’s maiden medal in women’s team event at Asian Championships. Going first, India’s Ayhika Mukherjee gave a tough fight to Japan’s Miwa Harimoto before losing 2-3 (8-11 11-9 8-11 13-11 7-11). The highly-rated Manika Batra levelled the scores after notching up a 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-8) win over Satsuki Odo in the second match.

Next in charge, Sutirtha Mukherjee handed Japan the lead, losing 0-3 (9-11 4-11 13-15) against Mima Ito.

The onus was then on Manika to salvage India but she was outplayed by Harimoto, losing 1-3 (3-11 11-6 2-11 3-11).

With Japan taking a 3-1 lead, the last and final match between Ayhika and Odo became inconsequential and was not played.

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PBG Bengaluru Smashers vs Athlead Goa Challengers, Ultimate Table Tennis 2024: Live Score Updates

admin — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 14:39:57 +0000

Bengaluru Smashers vs Goa Challengers, Ultimate Table Tennis: Live Updates© UTT

PBG Bengaluru Smashers vs Athlead Goa Challengers, Ultimate Table Tennis 2024, Live Updates: PBG Bengaluru Smashers will be squaring off against Athlead Goa Challengers in the first semi-final of the Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 on Thursday in Chennai. World No.25 Manika Batra will spearhead PBG Bengaluru Smashers’ challenge when they lock horns with defending champions Athlead Goa Challengers. As the tournament reaches its business end, the stakes are high, and no teams can afford any half measures in the crucial knockouts.

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Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra Headline India’s Table Tennis Squad For Asian Championships

admin — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 10:51:07 +0000

Veteran Sharath Kamal and star female player Manika Batra were on Wednesday named in the India squad for the 27th Asian Table Tennis Championships, scheduled to be held in Astana, from October 7 to 13. Sharath, the 42-year-old who recently featured in his fifth and last Olympics, is the captain of the men’s team comprising Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai, G Sathiyan and Manush Shah. Manika will lead the women’s team which also has Sreeja Akula, Ayhika Mukherjee, Diya Chital and Sutirtha Mukherjee.

“The selection process was rigorous, with the TTFI giving precedence to the world ranking, international experience, and performance at the national level as key criteria for the final squad,” said the TTFI in a statement.

The Indian team has been under the guidance of foreign expert Massimo Constantini, who has been working to fine-tune the players’ skills and strategies since his return to India in June.

“I am hopeful they will put their best foot forward in the Asthana championships,” Constantini said.

The squad, especially the women, had done well in the Paris Olympics, reaching the quarterfinals. The men’s team had lost to the mighty China in the round of 16. It was the first time that India qualified for team events at the Olympics.

As a crucial qualification event for the World Table Tennis Championships and the Asian Games, the Asian Championships hold significant importance for the Indian team.

Men’s Team: A. Sharath Kamal (captain), Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai, G. Sathiyan, Manush Shah; Reserve Players: SFR Snehit and Jeet Chandra.

Women’s Team: Sreeja Akula, Manika Batra (captain), Ayhika Mukherjee, Diya Chitale, Sutirtha Mukherjee; Reserve Players: Yashaswini Ghorpade and Poymantee Baisya.

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UTT 2024: PBG Bengaluru Smashers Qualify For Semis Despite 7-8 Loss To Dabang Delhi TTC

admin — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 05:02:43 +0000

Rising star Diya Chitale pulled off a massive upset against World No. 26 Manika Batra as Dabang Delhi TTC staged a late charge to upstage table toppers PBG Bengaluru Smashers 8-7 in a thrilling UTT 2024 tie that went right down to the wire at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. Diya outplayed Manika 3-0 (11-6, 11-10, 11-8) as Dabang Delhi TTC – who were seemingly down and out after PBG Bengaluru Smashers raced into a 7-1 lead – pulled off the unthinkable by clinching seven consecutive games.

The franchise-based league is promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). The league is airing on Sports18 Khel and streaming live on JioCinema in India and Facebook Live outside India.

Despite suffering their first loss of the season, PBG Bengaluru Smashers became the first team to enter the knockouts with 48 points after five ties. Dabang Delhi TTC continue at the second spot with 41 points.

PBG Bengaluru Smashers were off to a promising start when Alvaro Robles blanked youngster Yashansh Malik 3-0 (11-3, 11-10, 11-5) in the first men’s singles. Lily Zhang continued her unbeaten run this season, outclassing Orawan Paranang 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-7) in the first women’s singles.

The American star has dropped just one game this season and Sunday’s result was her fourth 3-0 win on the trot.

However, Orawan and G Sathiyan sparked the turnaround for the Delhi-based franchise when they downed the star pair of Manika and Alvaro Robles 2-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-8) in the mixed doubles. Sathiyan went on to blank a fighting Jeet Chandra 3-0 (11-10, 11-6, 11-5) to raise visions of a comeback by Dabang Delhi TTC.

That set up a nail-biting finish with Diya Chitale taking on a formidable challenge against Manika in the second women’s singles. The promising youngster pulled off a giant slaying act as she comprehensively outplayed the experienced Team India star.

Earlier in the day, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis stormed back into contention for a place in the knockouts with a 9-6 win over debutants Jaipur Patriots in an exciting clash. The team from Pune are in the fourth spot with 28 points. Jaipur Patriots leapfrogged a rung to take the fifth spot with 25 points.

Ankur Bhattacharjee put Puneri Paltan Table Tennis off to a winning start by defeating Ronit Bhanja 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-8) in the first men’s singles.

Suthasini Sawettabut brought Jaipur Patriots back to level terms with a 2-1 (8-11, 11-10, 11-7) verdict over the highly rated Ayhika Mukherjee. Puneri Paltan Table Tennis regained the lead immediately when Natalia Bajor and Anirban Ghosh got the better of Nithyashree Mani and Cho Seungmin 2-1 (11-10, 7-11,11-9) in the mixed doubles clash, and then got a two-point lead when Joao Monteiro registered his first win in the tournament by beating the dangerous Cho Seungmin 21- (8-11,11-10,11-7).

Natalia Bajor wrapped up the victory for Puneri Paltan Table Tennis with a 2-1 (11-8, 7-11, 11-6) win over a fighting Nithyashree Mani in the second women’s singles.

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Dabang Delhi TTC vs Puneri Paltan TT, Ultimate Table Tennis 2024: Live Score Updates

admin — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 13:56:30 +0000

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UTT 2024: PBG Bengaluru Smashers Aim To Extend Winning Run Against Jaipur Patriots

admin — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 05:33:13 +0000

PBG Bengaluru Smashers will be looking to extend their unbeaten run and take a step closer to the playoffs when they face Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 debutants Jaipur Patriots at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Thursday. The team from Bengaluru has won both its ties so far and is second in the table, behind leaders Ahmedabad SG Pipers, who have played a tie more. Jaipur Patriots, on the other hand, are fourth with a loss and a win in their bag.

The franchise-based league is promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). All the thrilling ties are being aired on Sports18 Khel on TV and streaming live on JioCinema in India and Facebook Live outside India. Tickets are available online through BookMyShow and offline at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium box office near Gate no. 1.

PBG Bengaluru Smashers have been dominant, so far, in UTT 2024; they have won both their ties, eight of the ten matches contested, and 21 of the 30 games they have played. Led by captain Alvaro Robles, the team from Bengaluru is looking to break into the playoffs for the first time, after narrowly missing out on a spot in their debut season last year.

Robles aside, PBG Bengaluru Smashers are likely to feature star paddler Manika Batra, who claimed an impressive win over giant-slayer Ayhika Mukherjee in the previous tie, USA ace Lily Zhang, and the assertive Jeet Chandra.

On the opposing side, Jaipur Patriots head into the tie on the back of a win against U Mumba TT. The debutants hold a balanced record, having won one tie out of two, five matches out of 10, and 15 games out of 30 contested.

Jaipur Patriots’ clash with PBG Bengaluru Smashers is likely to pit South Korean paddler Cho Seung-min, who has impressed with his displays so far, against Robles in a highlight clash. Suthasini Sawettabut, Snehit SFR, and Nithyashree Mani have also laid down strong statements; the trio will look to build upon that in tie 3.

Squads

PBG Bengaluru Smashers: Manika Batra, Alvaro Robles (Spain), Lily Zhang (USA), Jeet Chandra, Taneesha Kotecha, Amalraj Anthony

Jaipur Patriots: Cho Seungmin (South Korea), Suthasini Sawettabut (Thailand), Snehit SFR, Ronit Bhanja, Moumita Dutta, Nithyashree Mani

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PBG Bengaluru Smashers vs Puneri Paltan TT Highlights, Ultimate Table Tennis 2024: Bengaluru Smashers Defeat Puneri Paltan, Inch Closer To Semis

admin — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 13:52:01 +0000

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