Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 30 (ANI): Ultimate Table Tennis Season 6 will begin on May 31 and feature top Indian and international stars in action. The opening day will see Dabang Delhi TTC face Jaipur Patriots, followed by Dempo Goa Challengers taking on debutants Ahmedabad SG Pipers.

The league will feature 23 ties over 16 action-packed days, culminating in the Grand Finale on June 15. The season will be hosted at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad.

One of the league's most compelling stories is Diya Chitale, India's top-ranked national female player, who returns this season as its highest-valued Indian athlete, just years after watching the action as a fan in the stands.

'I was in the stands watching the action very keenly when the first season of UTT took place. Ever since the league started, I have been very excited about it, and always wanted to play in it. I got my chance in 2023, and it has been so exciting. Every year, I look forward to when it's going to happen,' said Diya, who will again represent Dabang Delhi in the league, as quoted from a press release by UTT.

Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. This season will feature 48 players from 14 countries, including 16 Olympians, highlighting the tournament's strong international presence.

This year's opening serves up a special storyline for defending champion Harmeet Desai, who will represent the Dempo Goa Challengers in his home state of Gujarat for the first time in UTT history.

'This is the first time we are playing in Gujarat, that too in Ahmedabad, and I am delighted by it. I am from Gujarat, I was born and brought up here, and so I hope to enjoy a lot of support. This will be a good opportunity for the youngsters, too, where they can interact and learn from international players,' Harmeet said.

Making her league debut, Chinese paddler Fan Siqi is the highest-valued player this season, after securing a winning bid of 19.7 lakh tokens in the first-ever UTT auction from Season 3 champions Stanley's Chennai Lions.

Speaking on the unique gender-inclusive nature of the league, one of the only such competitions in the world, Fan said: 'I feel that both the men's and women's players play a very important role in the team events. I myself try to do the best I can and focus on every moment.'

The league also puts the spotlight on youth, with 25 Indian players under the age of 25 featuring this season. Among them are promising names like Ankur Bhattacharjee, Payas Jain, Abhinandh PB, Taneesha Kotecha, Sayali Wani, and Yashaswini Ghorpade, all eager to leave their mark on the big stage.

Reflecting on the league's growing impact, Yashaswini said: 'UTT has built a strong foundation for Indian table tennis. We are rapidly rising in the world rankings, and the rest of the nations have started seeing us as a contender. It's a big achievement and a huge step forward for Indian TT.'

The international presence in UTT this year sees paddlers from 14 nations outside India, including Germany, Italy, China, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Kazakhstan, Egypt, and more-a global mix that reinforces its status as a destination league for elite players.

Adriana Diaz, a trailblazer for Latin American table tennis and the second top-ranked player in UTT Season 6, now with debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades, returns to India with high expectations. 'It's going to be a lot of fun. There are new players, especially Fan Siqi and Dina Meshref, and many Indian players. It's going to be tough, but every time in India is fun and I hope I can enjoy myself,' said the Puerto Rican star.

Several high-profile international paddlers are making their UTT debuts this year, including Egypt's Dina Meshref, Germany's Ricardo Walther, and the USA's Kanak Jha.

Egyptian ace Meshref, who joins PBG Pune Jaguars, talked glowingly of the league, based on other players' testimonials: 'I've heard a lot about UTT from other players--and all of those good things! I heard it's a one-of-a-kind experience. I am sure any new experience will benefit me, and I am excited about it.'

Germany's Ricardo Walther, representing Ahmedabad SG Pipers, said: 'It's a bit different, but I try to play my own game. I know it's a bit shorter, I have only three games, so I need to be there from the beginning with full focus. All the sets are important, even the mixed doubles is important, we don't play it so often in Germany, but we practice it a lot here.

UTT Season 6 Schedule

May 31: Jaipur Patriots v Dabang Delhi T.T.C.May 31: Ahmedabad SG Pipers v Dempo Goa ChallengersJune 1: U Mumba TT v PBG Pune JaguarsJune 2: Stanley's Chennai Lions v Kolkata ThunderBladesJune 2: U Mumba TT v Ahmedabad SG PipersJune 3: Jaipur Patriots v Stanley's Chennai LionsJune 4: Dabang Delhi T.T.C. v Dempo Goa ChallengersJune 4: PBG Pune Jaguars v Kolkata ThunderBladesJune 5: Jaipur Patriots v U Mumba TTJune 5: Stanley's Chennai Lions v Ahmedabad SG PipersJune 6: PBG Pune Jaguars v Dempo Goa ChallengersJune 6: Dabang Delhi T.T.C. v Kolkata ThunderBladesJune 7: Jaipur Patriots v Ahmedabad SG PipersJune 7: U Mumba TT v Stanley's Chennai LionsJune 8: Dempo Goa Challengers v Kolkata ThunderBladesJune 8: Dabang Delhi T.T.C. v PBG Pune JaguarsJune 9: Stanley's Chennai Lions v Dempo Goa ChallengersJune 10: Ahmedabad SG Pipers v Kolkata ThunderBladesJune 11: Jaipur Patriots v PBG Pune JaguarsJune 12: U Mumba TT v Dabang Delhi T.T.C.June 13: Team 1 v Team 4June 14: Team 2 v Team 3June 15: SF1 Winner v SF2 Winner

UTT Season 6 Teams

Ahmedabad SG Pipers: Ayhika Mukhejree, Ricardo Walther (Germany), Snehit Suravajjula, Giorgia Piccolin (Italy), Divyansh Srivastava, Yashini Sivashankar

Stanley's Chennai Lions: Fan Siqi (China), Kirill Gerassimenko (Kazakhstan), Payas Jain, Sudhanshu Grover, Poymantee Baisya, Nikhat Banu

Dabang Delhi TTC: Diya Chitale, Maria Xiao (Spain), Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Quek Izaac (Singapore), Suhana Saini, Sourav Saha

Dempo Goa Challengers: Zeng Jian (Singapore), Harmeet Desai, Tiago Apolonia (Portugal), Ronit Bhanja, Krittwika Sinha Roy, Sayali Wani

Jaipur Patriots: Britt Eerland (Netherlands), Kanak Jha (USA), Sreeja Akula, Jeet Chandra, Pritha Vartikar, Yashansh Malik

Kolkata ThunderBlades: Adriana Diaz (Puerto Rico), Aruna Quadri (Nigeria), Ankur Bhattacharjee, Selena Selvakumar, Ananya Chande, Deepit Patil

PBG Pune Jaguars: Alvaro Robles (Spain), Dina Meshref (Egypt), Taneesha Kotecha, Anirban Ghosh, Reeth Rishya, Mudit Dani

U Mumba TT: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh PB. (ANI)