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News18
3 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Diya Chitale Guides Dabang Delhi To Close Win In UTT Season 6
Last Updated: 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. advetisement 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) About the Author Cricketnext Staff First Published: June 07, 2025, 08:26 IST
India Gazette
30-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Ahmedabad gears up for UTT Season 6 opener: Dabang Delhi to face Jaipur Patriots
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 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 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)
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Yashaswini-Diya pair bows out, India's campaign ends in World table tennis championships
India's campaign in the World table tennis championships in Doha came to an end with the exit of Yashaswini Ghorpade and Diya Chitale in the women's doubles pre-quarterfinals on Wednesday. The Indian pair went down 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 to Japan's fourth-seeded Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara.
India Gazette
20-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
World Table Tennis Championships Finals: Manika, Manav, Diya's defeats end India's challenge in singles event
Doha [Qatar], May 20 (ANI): India's star paddler Manika Batra crashed out of the World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2025 after enduring a defeat against the Republic of Korea's Ga-Hyeon Park in her women's round of 64 match in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday. Manika, ranked 46 globally, ousted Nigeria's Fatimo Bello in her opening round fixture. However, she suffered a 4-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8) defeat against Ga-Hyeon Park in the next match. The 144th-ranked paddler trounced Manika in a fixture that lasted for just over 35 minutes. Meanwhile, Diya Chitale lost against the three-time Olympian Cheng I-Ching of Chinese Taipei in the round of 64. Chitale crashed out of the tournament after finding herself on the back foot in the opening three games. After losing the first three games, Chitale bounced back in the fourth game. She threatened to come back after showing signs of a spirited comeback; however, Cheng closed out the win with a victory in the fifth game and moved to the next round with a 4-1 (11-3, 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5) triumph. Coming to the men's singles event, Manav Thakkar fought with valiance, but it wasn't enough to confirm his spot in the next round. He walked out of the World Table Tennis Championships Finals after losing to Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto. World No. 49 Thakkar made Harimoto, who is fourth in the men's singles table tennis rankings, toil hard for the victory. Manav saved two game points in the opener and even won the third and fifth games, hinting at a potential upset. However, Manav's effort went in vain as he lost by 4-2 (13-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3) against the Japanese paddler, who is a team bronze medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Following defeats for Manika Batra, Diya Chitale, and Manav Thakkar, India's singles campaign at the World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2025 came to a bitter end. Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade, ranked 16th, will return to action and compete against the world No.6 Japanese pair of Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara in the women's doubles round of 16 match on Wednesday. (ANI)
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
World Championships
DOHA The women's doubles pair of Yasashwini Ghorpade and Diya Chitale are the last Indians standing as the rest bowed out of the World table tennis championships in Doha on Tuesday. The Indians will meet the fourth-seeded Japanese duo of Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara in the pre-quarterfinals on Wednesday. In singles, Manav Thakkar, Manika Batra and Diya Chitale lost. While Manav & Diya lost to higher ranked opponents — Manav to fourth seed Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan and Diya to 10th seed Cheng I-Ching Ching of Taipei — Manika went down to 130th ranked Park Gahyeon of Korea in four straight games. The results (second round): Singles: Men: Tomokazu Harimoto (Jpn) bt Manav Thakkar 13-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3. Women: Park Gahyeon (Kor) bt Manika Batra 11-8, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8; Cheng I-Ching (Tpe) bt Diya Chitale 11-3, 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5.
