NAVELIM: The prestigious UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships officially commenced at the Manohar Parrikar Indoor Stadium, Navelim-Salcete on Friday. The championships were inaugurated in a grand opening ceremony by Sports Minister Govind Gaude in the presence of Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) Secretary General Kamlesh Mehta, Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral, TTFI Competition Manager N Ganeshan, Goa Table Tennis Association (GTTA) president Sudin Verenkar, Secretary Christopher Menezes and tTreasurer Aishwarya Nunes.
The 8-day championships have been organised by the Goa Table Tennis Association in aegis with the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), featuring India’s top players and a record number of 2700 entries across 12 categories.
In the men’s division, top stars like G Sathiyan, Manav Thakkar, a former world No 1 in U21 rankings, and Manush Shah, the left-handed dynamo, along with other notable players such as Jeet Chandra, Amal Raj, a seasoned veteran and former national champion, and the young sensation Payas Jain, known for his recent success in international junior events are participating in this championship.
On the women’s side, Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee, who made history at the recently concluded Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan by winning the bronze medal lead the charge. Diya Chitale, the vibrant young star, and Baisya Poymantee are also competing, alongside Pritha Vatikar, Yashaswini Ghorpade and Wani Sayali.