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India Gazette
16-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Ultimate Table Tennis season six kicks off from May 31 with double header
New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 kicks off with a double-header on May 31 at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, with the opening night witnessing defending champions Dempo Goa Challengers taking on home side Ahmedabad SG Pipers in a primetime clash. Earlier in the evening, Season 2 winners Dabang Delhi TTC will face Sreeja Akula-led Jaipur Patriots in the ceremonial opener, setting the tone for a high-voltage season, where eight franchises will compete across 23 ties, according to a UTT release. U Mumba TT, led by World No. 14 Bernadette Szocs and rising Indian star Yashaswini Ghorpade, begin their season with a mouth-watering Maharashtra Derby on June 1 against PBG Pune Jaguars, spearheaded by Spanish ace Alvaro Robles. Debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades, featuring World Youth No. 5 Ankur Bhattacharjee and Olympians Quadri Aruna and Adriana Diaz, open their campaign on June 2 against Season 3 winners Chennai Lions, headlined by China's Fan Siqi, the most expensive pick at this year's auction, and former World Youth No. 1 (U-17) Payas Jain. Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Vita Dani and Niraj Bajaj, UTT has rapidly become one of the most coveted global sports properties in table tennis. UTT drew 20 million viewers in 2024--a 1.3x rise from the previous season. The opener between Dempo Goa Challengers and Jaipur Patriots drew 1.33 million, while the U Mumba TT vs Ahmedabad SG Pipers derby scaled to 1.83 million on TV. Across the season, the league averaged over a million viewers per match. Season 6 picks up where it left off, with key clashes lined up, including the Western Derby between Mumbai and Ahmedabad on June 2. A rematch of last year's final between Dabang Delhi and Dempo Goa Challengers-which pits Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Diya Chitale against Harmeet Desai and Singapore's Zeng Jian-is set for June 4. The semifinals will be played on June 13 and 14, leading to the Grand Finale. Each team will play five ties across the group stage, while each tie will consist of five matches--two men's singles, two women's singles, and one mixed doubles. After the league stage, the top four teams on the points table will progress to the knockout stage, with the semi-finals featuring Team No. 1 vs Team No. 4 and Team No. 2 vs Team No. 3. The ties will begin at 7:30 PM, with seven double-headers scheduled, where the first tie will start at 5:00 PM (17:00), followed by the second at 7:30 PM (19:30). UTT Season 6 Schedule May 31 17:00 Jaipur Patriots v Dabang Delhi 31 19:30 Ahmedabad SG Pipers v Dempo Goa ChallengersJune 1 17:00 U Mumba TT v PBG Pune JaguarsJune 2 17:00 Chennai Lions v Kolkata ThunderBladesJune 2 19:30 U Mumba TT v Ahmedabad SG PipersJune 3 17:00 Jaipur Patriots v Chennai LionsJune 4 17:00 Dabang Delhi T.T.C. v Dempo Goa ChallengersJune 4 19:30 PBG Pune Jaguars v Kolkata ThunderBladesJune 5 17:00 Jaipur Patriots v U Mumba TTJune 5 19:30 Chennai Lions v Ahmedabad SG PipersJune 6 17:00 PBG Pune Jaguars v Dempo Goa ChallengersJune 6 19:30 Dabang Delhi T.T.C. v Kolkata ThunderBladesJune 7 17:00 Jaipur Patriots v Ahmedabad SG PipersJune 7 19:30 U Mumba TT v Chennai LionsJune 8 17:00 Dempo Goa Challengers v Kolkata ThunderBladesJune 8 19:30 Dabang Delhi T.T.C. v PBG Pune JaguarsJune 9 19:30 Chennai Lions v Dempo Goa ChallengersJune 10 19:30 Ahmedabad SG Pipers v Kolkata ThunderBladesJune 11 19:30 Jaipur Patriots v PBG Pune JaguarsJune 12 19:30 U Mumba TT v Dabang Delhi 13 19:30 Team 1 v Team 4June 14 19:30 Team 2 v Team 3June 15 19:30 SF1 Winner v SF2 Winner. (ANI)
Mercury
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Mercury
Western Bulldogs, Carlton land dream run in latest fixture release
Carlton and Western Bulldogs are the biggest beneficiaries of the AFL's fixture release, winning the race for the most prime-time slots. The Blues will play four Thursday nights and one Friday between rounds 16 and 23, while the Bulldogs play two Thursday and three Friday night matches. It's a great reward for Luke Beveridge's side that overcame a slate of injuries earlier in the season. Included in the Doggies' five prime-time clashes is North Melbourne's centenary match in round 17. Gold Coast will host its first Friday night fixture when it welcomes Collingwood in round 18. There will be Friday-night double headers in rounds 17, 20 and 23 as the AFL manages viewership and the mandatory shortened breaks. Round 20 will be a highlight of the season, as the Bulldogs kick off the round with Essendon ahead of the Battle of the Bridge on Friday night at Engie Stadium. Western Bulldogs are the biggest winner of the AFL's fixture release. Picture: Michael Klein The following day will revisit the competition's old Rivalry Round with the Q-Clash, Western Derby and Showdown all succeeding each other on the Saturday. Port Adelaide and Adelaide lobbied for a stand-alone Showdown but will parallel with North Melbourne and Geelong at Marvel Stadium. The rescheduled match between the Suns and Bombers in round 24 will be included in the final round's release later this year. AFL head of strategy and scheduling Josh Bowler said the finalised fixture 'is aimed at maximising momentum into finals'. 'The first nine rounds of the Toyota AFL Premiership season have delivered some of the most exciting football we have seen with close margins, high scoring, record attendances and strong ratings across the board., Bowler said. 'This season has delivered more Thursday nights than ever before with this key timeslot featuring in all AFL rounds except round 23 when we will see the exciting inaugural AFLW rematch between Carlton and Collingwood kick off the 10th NAB AFLW season. 'This back end of the season fixture is aimed at maximising momentum into the finals which is shaping up to be one of the tightest races in recent history. 'We are excited to schedule a number of Friday night double-headers aimed at maximising prime-time audience whilst also managing team travel and breaks between games.' Dogs on the move The Western Bulldogs are adamant they remain committed to Ballarat despite moving a round 18 fixture to Marvel Stadium in the wake of criticism about playing at a 'construction site' that earnt a sledge form former player Bailey Smith. Less than 5000 people were able to attend the round 8 thrashing of Port Adelaide at Mars Stadium, which is being redeveloped and didn't go unnoticed by Smith. After playing a leading role in Geelong's thrilling MCG win over Collingwood, in front of more than 80,000, Smith told Fox Footy that 'you don't get that at Ballarat', a comment that earnt a day-after retort from his former Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli. But with the round 18 clash against fellow finals aspirants Adelaide set to draw a bumper crowd, the Bulldogs asked for the game to the moved to Marvel Stadium 'While it has been a difficult decision to shift venues for our round 18 clash against the Adelaide Crows in Ballarat, all parties including the AFL, state government and club partners (Visit Victoria, City of Ballarat, Mars Wrigley and Marvel Stadium) have worked collaboratively to arrive at this outcome,' Western Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains said. 'Importantly, the club remains extremely excited and committed to the current redevelopment of Mars Stadium, with AFL and AFLW games at Mars Stadium remaining a crucial part of the club's all-year round presence and involvement in the Ballarat region. 'The club's regular day-to-day support of the Ballarat region has become a vital cornerstone in all we do, and we look forward to our AFLW home game later this year and future AFL games at Mars Stadium for years to come. James O'Donnell fetches the ball from over the fence at Mars Stadium, where half the ground is being redeveloped. Picture: Michael Klein 'The club is incredibly appreciative of the understanding from all members and fans and looks forward to welcoming the red, white and blue army to another game at Marvel Stadium later this year.' The Adelaide match will take place on Saturday, July 12, with the first bounce at 1.20pm, with Marvel Stadium to host three games across the round. The full fixture for rounds 16-24 is set to be announced on Thursday. Originally published as Western Bulldogs, Carlton land dream run in latest fixture release
News.com.au
03-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Sydney v GWS Giants AFL Round 8: Live updates, SuperCoach scores, teams
The 2024 qualifying final between the Swans and Giants was quite simply one of, if not the greatest, game of Australian rules ever played in NSW. There have, of course, been highlight moments before. Think Tony Lockett in the 1996 preliminary final, Nick Davis's semi-final heroics against Geelong and even more recently Buddy Franklin's 1000th goal, which saw thousands of fans storm the field. But no game has ebbed and flowed quite like the one that graced the SCG on September 7, 2024. Sitting in the top floor of the Brewongle Stand, trying to concentrate on writing as the stadium shook to its core because Isaac Heeney had just drawn the Swans level is an experience I will never forget. In nearly 20 years of watching AFL games in Sydney, nothing, to me, has topped that moment. But don't just take my word for it. Hear from some of the key people at the ground on the day that Aussie rules in Sydney truly came alive. A NECESSARY RIVALRY The GWS Giants were brought into the competition as a way to help grow the sport of Australian rules football in NSW, and in particular, give the AFL an entry point into the ever-expanding population in Western Sydney. But there was also a sense of creating genuine competition for the Swans. The Showdown and the Western Derby had shown over the years what a perfectly fostered rivalry in a two-team town can generate; why shouldn't Sydney have one of its own? 'I think the rivalry is fundamentally the basis for why the AFL wanted to start another club in Sydney and why we're doing the same thing in Queensland,' Giants CEO David Matthews said. 'Everybody felt that what you see in the rivalries in WA, Adelaide, and other places, it doesn't matter where people are on the ladder. It's a fierce rivalry and you want people in Sydney to be going, 'When do the Swans and Giants play each other?'.' It was a fact recognised from the red and white part of Sydney, with a genuine respect from day one for what the Giants were trying to achieve. 'It's one of the great stories in footy that probably gets overlooked a bit,' former Swans coach John Longmire said. 'The ability for both teams to be playing finals on a regular basis in the Sydney market is pretty significant. 'The people (the Giants) got on and off the field were really important. The initial foundations were built with strong intentions. While the challenges are still there for both teams (in Sydney), you can't knock the on-field competitiveness. It's added to a real sense of rivalry because they're a high-quality team.' Since their initial meeting in 2012, the two teams had played on 28 occasions before last year's qualifying final. The three previous meetings in finals had all gone the Giants' way. But the on-field competitiveness has become matched by a genuine dislike off the field. Whether it was Sam Taylor labelling the Swans as 'smug', little spotfires in pre-season matches, and even this week ahead of Sydney Derby 30, Giants midfielder Toby Bedford using the word 'hate' to describe his feelings. After a year where membership records were broken and crowds filled the SCG like never before, the two teams finishing in the top four and meeting in finals after more than a decade of history was the perfect storm. 'I think what (Swans CEO) Tom Harley and I are really pleased about is that it's not confected, it's not manufactured,' Matthews said. '(The rivalry) is real and the players talk about it as being real.' AN ATMOSPHERE LIKE NO OTHER The 43,189 fans who crammed into the SCG for the match – the most for any Sydney Derby at the ground – certainly got their money's worth. The top-four teams showed their class in different ways. The Giants were on top early, opening up a 28-point lead in the first half on the back of their relentless pressure and clinical attack. But as the Swans had done all year, they saved their best footy until last to eventually chase them down. Braeden Campbell's inspirational final quarter as the sub, Chad Warner turning it on at the stoppage with seven last-term clearances, Tom Papley's inch-perfect handball assists and Jake Lloyd's incredible goal on the run from 50 metres. It all blended to create a melting point of emotion unlike the SCG had ever seen. 'With how loud the crowd was, it was hard to maintain your composure and not get too excited and ahead of yourself,' Warner said. 'The Giants played an amazing game of footy, and we had to stem the flow a bit. 'That home crowd, I've never heard it that loud as well. That is something really great about Sydney footy at the moment.' 'The atmosphere was electric,' GWS' Callan Ward said. 'It was amazing to play in, and even when they started to come back, even though it wasn't going great for us as a team, the atmosphere was amazing.' The action on the ground was incredible, but as the siren sounded for the Swans' dramatic six-point win, you couldn't help but be drawn to what was occurring on the other side of the fence. Swans fans, whether new or loyal from the South Melbourne days, were shedding tears of joy. The largest number of fans in orange and charcoal the SCG had ever seen were coming to terms with the heartache that only sport can provide. And for photographer Phil Hillyard, who is yet to miss a Sydney Derby and has captured many of sport's greatest moments, it probably topped the lot. 'I would have to rate it as one of the matches that has provided the greatest atmosphere I can remember,' he said. 'The greatest thing for what we do is trying to capture when you're on the edge of your seat. You're like every fan in the crowd, waiting to see what's going to happen. 'To see that emotion on the spectators, it's unfortunate for the Giants, but it was pretty incredible. It's one of the great rivalries, and it's fantastic for footy in New South Wales to have two great teams that seem to bring out the best in each other.' THE LOCAL KID WINS IT ALL Despite the highlights and the incredible atmosphere of the game, there's only one man who comes to mind when remembering last year's qualifying final: Isaac Heeney. One of the first graduates of the Swans Academy who traded rugby league for Aussie rules as a teenager to become one of the AFL's genuine superstars. Naturally, it had to be the 28-year-old from the Hunter who put the cherry on top of NSW's crowning footy moment. 'I think in finals like that, you see certain players, especially him, just do Herculean things,' Warner said. 'That's the great thing about finals and playing against cross-town rivals, so many players stand up and it breeds great footy.' Heeney had already had a remarkable year. He was on track for a Brownlow Medal before a controversial suspension ruled him out, but his performances helped lead the Swans to the minor premiership and earned him his second All-Australian blazer. However, when Sydney needed him the most, he rose to the occasion. He took a one-handed mark and kicked an important goal before half-time to calm the nerves in the changerooms. He emerged from the sheds to take what would have been mark of the year over Jack Buckley. Then, the 'Rolls-Royce' kicked the goal with three minutes to go that brought the Swans level and blew the roof off the SCG. All while carrying an injury that would later get the better of him in the grand final, and a broken nose to boot. 'It's always a combination of system and individual brilliance,' Longmire said. 'You hope that gets you there over the game. 'We had players step up in the biggest moments. Some great single acts, but also the little things like the Papley 1-v-2 contest. '(Isaac) is a local boy, played all the different sports and would have been brilliant at all of them. To do what he did in that moment and arguably be the best player in the competition for the season, and have that final when he was clearly under duress injury-wise…with a broken leg…it was probably as good an individual performance as I've seen.' Hillyard added: 'Taking the ball one-handed and then managing to kick a goal from 70 to basically give your side a chance to win a final. I think it's individually the best footy moment I can remember at the SCG.' Longmire saw plenty of incredible moments from the SCG box over his more than two decades as both an assistant and head coach of the Swans. But as he walked down Driver Avenue in the hour after the game, his adrenaline still getting back to normal levels, he realised nothing might ever top what he had just seen. 'You couldn't have written it any better,' Longmire said. 'To have that sense of anticipation, build-up and then the game itself, the way it finished, you couldn't have written a script better. 'When we walked back to the club, it was still electric. The supporters were on such a high. It was an incredible feeling, and the players and staff were pumped. Tired, but pumped. 'What we saw last year was a bit of a social movement, and that peaked in that final game with the Giants. Once you see that type of thing happening amongst younger people in Sydney, you think that's pretty special.' 'I had no idea what AFL was': Giant debutant's remarkable rise Josaia Delana might not just have to prepare himself for his AFL debut, but also give his dad a crash course in the rules again ahead of Sunday's Sydney Derby against the Swans at the SCG. The 18-year-old has been entrusted by Adam Kingsley to make his first appearance in one of the biggest games of the season. Delana was just the fourth Western Sydney player to be drafted by the Giants from their Academy, selected as a Category B rookie at the end of last season, and after a stellar start to the year in the VFL has been rewarded with a chance to impress. Growing up in a family with Fijian heritage, rugby league was all Delana knew for most of his junior years. But after getting a glimpse of the sport when Israel Folau transitioned to the AFL with the Giants, Delana picked up a Sherrin for the first time at age 13 and will be following in the cross-code superstar's footsteps. And for the first time in his life, Delana's father will be attending an AFL game as a result. 'This will be his first official, actual AFL game,' Delana said. 'He's very excited, I called him and mum first, and he was nothing but proud of me. 'You wouldn't believe (the ticket requests). The first thing my parents said after they congratulated me was, 'How many tickets can we get?'. They were saying if I could get 100 to 150 … they probably won't all be together. 'Young Joey Delana wouldn't have a clue. I had no idea what AFL was, what the rules were or what the teams were in the comp besides the Giants and the Swans. If you were to tell me when I was 11 I'd be making my AFL debut at 18, I'd say you were lying and that I wouldn't leave (rugby) league. 'Over the moon is a great way to put it, my head's still spinning. The squad got named yesterday … and I got nothing from the coaches, if anything, they spoke less to me, they were keeping their cards close to their chest. 'It's surreal the change I've gone through. I've put my head down and focused on my craft. We've got a great culture at the Giants, but I think young Joey would be pretty excited.' Despite being so young, Delana knows he has a great chance to help put the AFL on the map for kids in Western Sydney. But he's equally as passionate about showcasing the talent that Polynesian athletes can bring to the game. Speaking glowingly about the teenager, Kingsley believes his 'want to chase and tackle' will be his greatest attribute as he prepares to play a pressure role in the Giants' forward line. And as a kid from Sydney getting to debut on one of the sport's biggest stages, Delana knows there's no better chance to shine. 'Playing at the SCG in front of a great crowd, against a high-quality team, I'm very excited,' he said. 'I don't really appreciate the stigma that Polynesians can't play AFL because we're not fit for it. I'm glad that I'm able to be an outlier in that sense and show people that it doesn't matter where you're from and what people say, you can do anything you put your mind to. 'Give it a crack, regardless of what culture or background you're from. Just because it doesn't suit someone else, it doesn't mean it doesn't suit you.' Delana is one of three big changes for the Giants with speedster Joe Fonti also named to make his first AFL appearance of the season. Irishman Callum Brown also returns with Jake Riccardi making way after suffering a hand injury.
