Goa Challengers players celebrate after winning the final match of the Ultimate Table Tennis League Season 4. File
The fifth season of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) will be held in Chennai from August 22 to September 7 and will have two new teams, organisers announced on Wednesday. Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots were announced as the new entrants to the league.
The franchise-based league, promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), was held in 2023 after a gap of four years.
It will be an eight-team league for the first time, according to a UTT release.
“The introduction of additional teams will infuse a heightened level of competition, strategically coinciding with the post-Paris Games period to capitalise on the prevailing Olympic fervour nationwide. Moreover, the decision to host the league in Chennai pays tribute to the City’s esteemed sporting heritage,” said UTT co-promoter Bajaj.
The eight teams will now be divided into two groups of four each. Each franchisee will continue to compete in five ties during the league stage, facing all other teams within their respective group once, alongside two randomly selected teams from the opposing group, determined through a draw.
