Ultimate Table Tennis: Owners React and Big Stars in All 8 Teams after UTT 2024 Players Draft

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Mumbai, Jul 10: The much-anticipated Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) 2024 Player Draft concluded in Mumbai, with franchises meticulously strategising to assemble the best possible squads for the upcoming season.

The draft, held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, saw the addition of two new teams, expanding the league to eight teams and featuring a total of 48 players, including 16 foreigners. The UTT 2024 season is scheduled from August 22 to September 7, promising thrilling table tennis action.

UTT 2024: Newcomers and Key Picks at Players Draft

The draft started with newcomers Jaipur Patriots making a significant splash by picking India's top-ranked player and World No. 25 Sreeja Akula. Akula, who recently became the first Indian to win a WTT Contender singles title, was a highly coveted pick. Puneri Paltan Table Tennis, opting not to retain any player, selected Ayhika Mukherjee, another rising star in Indian table tennis.

Ahmedabad SG Pipers, another debutant franchise, chose Manush Shah as their first pick and later secured the services of women's World No. 10 Bernadette Szocs of Romania, highlighting their ambition and strategic planning.

UTT Draft 2024: Reactions from Team Owners

Jaipur Patriots: "More or less, what we had discussed and strategized we got what we wanted. We wanted Sreeja and we got her in the first pick. We have a strong squad and we are confident that we can go all the way," said Jaipur Patriots COO Imran Shaikh.

Ahmedabad SG Pipers: "SG Sports prides itself in getting a balanced team with excellent support staff, and we hope to create an environment of camaraderie and togetherness in the team. We've enjoyed success in other leagues and other sports with this same formula, so just looking to continue the same thing," said Kartikeya Rao of Ahmedabad SG Pipers.

Goa Challengers: The Defending champions, having retained India star Harmeet Desai, revamped their squad with the addition of Yangzi Liu from Australia, young Indian talents Yashaswini Ghorpade and Sayali Wani, and veteran Mihai Bobocica of Italy.

U Mumba TT: U Mumba TT stuck to their tried and tested formula, re-signing Nigerian star and World No. 19 Aruna Quadri and picking Asian Games bronze medallist Sutirtha Mukherjee.

"Really glad with the way the draft went for us at U Mumba. There are no gaping holes in our squad. We were a bit worried about certain areas before the draft, but things worked out quite well and overall, I am very happy with the balance we have got," said U Mumba CEO Suhail Chandhok.

PBG Bengaluru Smashers: PBG Bengaluru Smashers, retaining star player Manika Batra, bolstered their squad with Spain's Alvaro Robles and USA's Lily Zhang. "I am extremely happy with the squad we have got."

"Having retained Manika Batra, we have managed to pick the experienced duo of Alvaro Robles and Lily Zhang as foreign internationals, with Anthony Amalraj and Jeet Chandra the perfect support cast for Indian men's paddlers. Talented young paddler Taneesha Kotecha also comes as a great addition, and we are confident that this team will present a strong challenge," said owner Punit Balan.

Chennai Lions: Last year's runners-up Chennai Lions opted for a fresh lineup with Japan's Sakura Mori, Frenchman Jules Rolland, and seasoned Indian players like Poymantee Baisya and Mouma Das joining the retained Achanta Sharath Kamal.

"We have a very mature team, some youngsters as well, but generally a very mature team. I'm quite happy with the picks that we've got considering the spot," said GS Ravi, owner of Chennai Lions.

Dabang Delhi TTC: They are banking on the prowess of Sathiyan G, added Austrian Andreas Levenko and young Indian talents Diya Chitale, Lakshita Narang, and Yashansh Malik.

"The draft was good for us. We anticipated we had an auction strategy in place, and for us, it has worked out well. The majority of the players that we had anticipated as part of the strategy we've got there," said CEO Durganath Wagle.

UTT 2024: A Promising Season Ahead

The 2024 UTT season, featuring expanded teams and enhanced talent, promises to be the most exciting yet. The teams are geared up for fierce competition, with matches set to be telecast live on Sports18 and streamed on JioCinema.

UTT 2024 Teams and Squads

Ahmedabad SG Pipers: Manush Shah, Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Reeth Tennison, Pritha Vartikar, Jash Modi

Chennai Lions: Achanta Sharath Kamal, Sakura Mori (Japan), Jules Rolland (France), Poymantee Baisya, Mouma Das, Abhinandh PB

Dabang Delhi TTC: Sathiyan G, Orawan Paranang (Thailand), Diya Chitale, Andreas Levenko (Austria), Yashansh Malik, Lakshita Narang

Goa Challengers: Harmeet Desai, Yangzi Liu (Australia), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Sudhanshu Grover, Sayali Wani, Mihai Bobocica (Italy)

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

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

Puneri Paltan Table Tennis: Ayhika Mukherjee, Nina Mittelham (Germany), Joao Monteiro (Portugal), Ankur Bhattacharjee, Anirban Ghosh, Yashini Sivashankar

U Mumba TT: Manav Thakkar, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Aruna Quadri (Nigeria), Akash Pal, Kavyasree Baskar, Maria Xiao (Spain)

As the countdown to August 22 begins, the excitement and anticipation for UTT 2024 are palpable. Fans eagerly await to see how these meticulously crafted teams will perform in the ultimate table tennis showdown.