Diya Chitale Guides Dabang Delhi To Close Win In UTT Season 6
Diya Chitale led Dabang Delhi to an 8-7 win over Kolkata ThunderBlades in UTT Season 6. Dempo Goa Challengers also beat PBG Pune Jaguars.
Diya Chitale achieved a decisive victory over Ananya Chande in the final match, helping Dabang Delhi narrowly defeat Kolkata ThunderBlades in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Friday.
Earlier, reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers won against PBG Pune Jaguars, driven by exceptional performances from power couple Harmeet Desai and Krittwika Sinha Roy.
Delhi's triumph over Kolkata elevated them to the top of the standings, while Goa climbed to second place after their win.
The match between Dabang Delhi and Kolkata ThunderBlades kicked off with a contest between two standout youngsters. Ankur Bhattacharjee continued his unbeaten streak by narrowly defeating Singapore's Izaac Quek 2-1 in a thrilling match, securing the decider on Golden Point after splitting the initial games.
Puerto Rico's Adriana Diaz then gave Kolkata an early lead with a 2-1 singles victory over Maria Xiao.
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Maria Xiao retaliated for Delhi in mixed doubles, achieving a polished 2-1 victory and maintaining their unbeaten record this season. However, Kolkata's Aruna Quadri regained the lead with a strong win over Sathiyan in a heavyweight clash.
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With the match finely balanced, Diya Chitale demonstrated maturity with a 3-0 sweep over debutant Ananya, guiding Delhi to an exciting 8-7 victory.
In the earlier encounter, Dempo Goa Challengers captain Harmeet continued his singles winning streak to three with a close 2-1 win over Alvaro Robles, while Krittwika returned to the lineup with a 2-1 victory over debutant Zion Lee.
The duo of Harmeet and Zeng Jian cruised through mixed doubles, and Zeng subsequently handed Reeth Rishya her first loss of the season, culminating in Goa's dominant performance.
Anirban Ghosh fought valiantly for Pune, securing two games for his team.
(With PTI Inputs)
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June 07, 2025, 08:26 IST
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The Hindu
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- The Hindu
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His aggression at the table evokes visions of Virat Kohli. So do more than the dozen tattoos he sports. His unconventional technique reminds you of Truls Moregard, the Swede who stormed into the men's singles final at the Paris Olympics. And he worships Grand Slam winner Zhang Jike. Creating a stir But, amidst all this, there are a few who wonder whether he can translate his exploits at the junior level to the open category. The house is definitely divided on how to bill Ankur Bhattacharjee, the teenager from Kolkata who has created a stir in the world of table tennis. More than his consistent top-five Under-19 World ranking, it's his uncanny ability to force formidable opponents onto the back foot that has catapulted him to the top of 'the next big thing' ladder in Indian table tennis. The men's game in the country finds itself at a crossroads. A. Sharath Kamal — the flagbearer for two decades — has hung up his boots. Harmeet Desai and G. 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The government wakes up, sponsors come in, everyone wants to be associated.'He's got an eye on India's rising core: Diya Chitale, Manav Thakkar, and Manush Shah, who are ready to support the already established stars, Manika Batra and Sathiyan this group peaks at the right time, Rajat believes they can push India onto the Olympic podium.'And if that happens,' he said, 'we're good to go.'Still, he's aware of the risk.'Yes, we are losing money,' he admitted. 'But we'll accept that loss if it means the sport is growing. It's worth it.'UTT'S UNIQUE MODELRajat reveals that he was also drawn towards UTT because of the unique model that it follows. UTT, which is a franchise tournament like the IPL, doesn't follow the IPL model to the letter. Though teams, auctions, and city branding exist, the model is centralised. Players are contracted by the league and not by individual franchises. The auctions are more symbolic, done with tokens, not money, to maintain excitement while the league handles logistics and salaries.'The best part?' Rajat said. 'We don't have to worry about the operational side. That allows us to focus on building a team culture, a brand, and fan engagement.'This model, according to Rajat, is what's kept UTT alive through six seasons, when leagues in badminton, tennis, and even kabaddi have faltered or BACK TO KOLKATAFor Rajat, owning a table tennis team was never going to be just about the had to be about giving back. Especially to the city of was a table tennis stronghold in the 2000s. The sport thrived in schools, clubs, and para-athletic meets. But slowly, it faded from what the Thunderblades are trying to and his team want to start outreach programs. They want to organise small tournaments across West Bengal. The idea is to identify talent, help them get drafted into UTT, and eventually support their journey into the professional circuit.'If we can sponsor a few kids at 13 or 14, give them what we didn't have, that's a win,' Rajat FACE OF THE CITYFor now, Ankur Bhattacharjee is their in the top 100 in the world, Ankur is expected to break into the top 50 by the end of the year. He plays with flair, backed by a city desperate for a sporting identity beyond football and cricket.'This year, we've got Ankur in our team. He's only 19 and already the third-best player in India,' Rajat said. 'In 4–5 years, you'll hear his name everywhere.'advertisementBUILDING THE EXPERIENCEThe owners of the team also want to better the viewing experience for fans in whatever tournaments they are organising. At the UTT, they arranged for food packets and juices for all the fans who came to watch Kolkata's matches. This is an initiative that they have taken out of their own pockets, and they plan to keep doing that to attract crowds to the stadiums.'If fans are coming to support your team, you take care of them. Give them a memory,' Rajat said. 'You watch these games at dinner time, people come from far. You want them to feel like they were part of something.'He knows this is rare. Even in cricket and football, fans often get ignored.'I think we'll connect with local academies too. But this kind of outreach, it needs to be done centrally. One owner can't do everything.'BEYOND UTTThe Thunderblades don't want to disappear once the UTT season says the goal is to build a year-round presence, connect with state associations, sponsor tournaments, partner with local coaches. And most importantly, identify kids who can't afford to play but have the talent.'The kids we find can interact with our team, sit with them, learn from them. That kind of exposure changes your mindset,' Rajat said. 'I want Kolkata to grow. I want TT to be great in this city again.'And if one of those kids becomes the next Ankur Bhattacharjee?Then maybe, just maybe, the long bet will pay off.- Ends
