UTT Nationals in Delhi see record participation despite absence of top paddlers

The second UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships, beginning Sunday in Delhi, has drawn nearly 3,000 entries, surpassing Vadodara’s opener. Despite absences of stars like Manav Thakkar, Sathiyan and Sreeja Akula, the event promises tough battles and a chance for rising players.

Hyderabad: The absence of top paddlers like Manav Thakkar, G. Sathiyan and Sreeja Akula from the second UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships, starting tomorrow at the Thyagraj Stadium, has done little to dim the spotlight on the event.

If anything, the scale of participation—close to 3,000 entries across 12 categories—signals the growing depth and competitive hunger within Indian table tennis. The figure surpasses the 2,587 entries in the season opener at Vadodara, reflecting the sport’s expanding base.

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The championships will open with the men’s and women’s singles, where defending champions Manush Shah (RBI) and Anusha Kutumbale (Railways) from the first event will look to extend their winning form. For Manav, the country’s only men’s player inside the world’s top 50 (currently ranked 42), injury recovery takes priority ahead of next month’s Asian Table Tennis Championships (ATTC) in Bhubaneswar. Sathiyan, also nursing an injury, and Sreeja, the only woman player among the top 50 WR, have opted out to prepare for the continental challenge. Their absence, however, presents an open field—an opportunity for rising names to make a mark.

Manush, fresh from his national crown, faces renewed tests from in-form rivals, including local favourite Payas Jain, who came agonisingly close at the national championships and, notwithstanding his semifinal loss at Vadodara, will now have the backing of home support. And, there are Sudhanshu Grover and Yashansh Malik, who have the wherewithal to beat the best in business on a given day.

Among women, Anusha’s long-overdue victory at Vadodara has set the stage for a potential repeat. However, Diya Chitale and runner-up Swastika Ghosh, Yashaswini Ghorpade and Taneesha Kotecha are keen to rewrite the script. Harmeet Desai, SFR Snehit and Akash Pal also add intrigue to the men’s draw, while a new crop of Under-19 talent—Ankur Bhattacharjee, Divyansh Srivastava, P.B. Abhinand, Syndrela Das and more—promise to make inroads.