'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Ultimate Table Tennis is back for its fifth season with two new franchises joining the action. Goa Challengers, who made their debut in the UTT 2019 season, will be entering the season as defending champions after moving past Chennai Lions in UTT 2023.
A total of eight teams are scheduled to play this season, namely Ahmedabad SG Pipers, Bengaluru Smashers, Chennai Lions, Dabang Delhi TTC, Goa Challengers, Jaipur Patriots, Puneri Paltan, and U Mumba TT.
The Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 season will witness a total of 48 paddlers, including 16 international players in action. Ahmedabad and Jaipur are the two new franchises making their debut.
In the new season, a few young and upcoming paddlers are set to represent their respective teams. Let’s take a look at three Indian players who are making their UTT debut in the 2024 season.
Trending
#3 Nithyashree Mani (Jaipur Patriots)
With the ace Indian paddler Sreeja Akula having pulled out of the Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 season due to a stress fracture, the U19 national champion Nithyashree Mani is all set to replace her in the Jaipur Patriots franchise.
Nithyashree, the national championship 2020 bronze medalist in girls singles, will be making her UTT debut this season. She also won a bronze medal in the U19 National Ranking Championships in Dehradun in 2022.
#2 Pritha Vartikar (Ahmedabad SG Pipers)
Ultimate Table Tennis franchise Ahmedabad SG Pipers roped in young paddler Pritha Vartikar, who was the runner-up in the U12 National Championships 2017. She also guided the team to a gold medal at U18 National Championship 2018.
Furthermore, Vartikar also grabbed a silver medal at the National Championships in Goa in 2018. She has a silver and a gold medal in the National Ranking Championships in Thane and Noida, respectively.
Recently, Vartikar was also part of the WTT Star Contender in Singapore and played Singapore Smash as well. She is aiming to make the cut for the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
#1 Yashaswini Ghorpade (Goa Challengers)
Yashaswini Ghorpade, another young and rising paddler from Bengaluru, was drafted by Goa Challengers in Ultimate Table Tennis 2024, the defending champions. She will be playing alongside Liu Yangzi and Sayali Wani in the female category.
In July 2023, Yashaswini bagged the U19 girls singles title at the WTT Youth Contender in Rio de Janeiro. She also secured a bronze medal in the third Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati.
Furthermore, Ghorpade also secured a gold medal at the UTT National Ranking Championships and grabbed several medals at the international level. Additionally, she also won the women’s doubles bronze medal at the Youth World Championships in Tunisia in 2022.
