UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships begin amid TTFI suspension row

The UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships begins here on Sunday with 1900 players, including almost all the top senior men’s and women’s players, competing across 12 categories.

The tournament is being held despite the storm caused by the Sports Ministry’s suspension of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) on Wednesday with the failure to hold elections on time among the reasons for taking action.

The TTFI has stressed its autonomy under the Olympic Charter, while urging the Ministry to keep its order in abeyance and reconsider the matter afresh.

The TTFI said there will be about 4200 matches -- from the group stages to the knockouts -- over the next eight days. The first sets of group matches get underway in the Under-11 and Under-13 Boys and Girls sections from Saturday.

In the senior section, all the top men’s and women’s players, except Harmeet Desai, will be in action.

For the Under-11 paddlers, the event offers a stepping stone to launch their careers, hone their skills, and prepare for the tougher tests ahead. 

 

While the Under-13 boys and girls would look to put forth their earnest efforts, the next level of competition among the Under-15 boys and girls will showcase how they are shaping up for the future. 

The Under-17 and Under-19 events always bring out the best in paddlers, fostering a healthy competition.

The most-followed marquee events of the championships will be the men’s and women’s singles, as the knockout matches will be as intense as possible. But they will all face stiff challenges from some of the booming guns in the Under-17 sections. 

The competition department will use Stag equipment, including 24 tables, flooring, and balls, for the championships.