New Delhi: 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.
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.
The junior sections (U-17, U-15, U-13, U-11) will once again showcase the sport’s grassroots strength, with a steady spurt of youngsters proving their mettle and tightening the competition across age groups.
The tournament will be conducted under the stewardship of Competition Manager N. Ganeshan, with referee K.R. Manjunatha supported by Mangesh Mopkar and veteran A.S. Kler, along with a team of 60 experienced officials. Matches are scheduled on 25 Stag Global tables, featuring Stag balls and professional flooring, to ensure top-quality play.
The overwhelming number of entries has created a formidable logistical challenge for the competition department. Matches now often stretch well beyond 10 p.m., straining both organisers and players. To ease scheduling pressures and accommodate participants headed to the WTT Youth Contender Skopje 2025 in Macedonia, the senior events have been extended to five days. However, this adjustment places added demands on the Under-11 and Under-13 players, who must squeeze in multiple rounds within a single day. With nine events featuring 128-player knockout draws, and the men’s singles knockout draw expanding to 256, the intensity is undeniable—top 16 seeds must battle through seven rounds before lifting the title.
For the Delhi State Table Tennis Association, returning to the national stage after a long time, the next eight days will be a trial of both organisational ability and endurance. How smoothly the championship unfolds will not only determine the players’ experience but also set the tone for Delhi’s re-emergence as a credible host of major table tennis events.
