Ultimate Table Tennis: Top five international stars to watch out for in UTT season 4

The fourth season of the tournament will take place at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune from July 13 to 30.

Ultimate Table Tennis is all set to bring back world-class action to the Indian fans with the much-awaited Season 4, scheduled at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune from July 13 to 30.

The franchise-based league, promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India, will witness six star-studded franchises — Bengaluru Smashers, Chennai Lions, Dabang Delhi TTC, Goa Challengers, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis and U Mumba TT — fighting for the coveted trophy over a period of 18 days. The action will be broadcasted live on Sports 18 and streamed on Jio Cinema.

As the country gears up for the grand table tennis carnival excitement with less than a month left, here are five international stars to watch out for in the upcoming Season 4.

1. Quadri Aruna (WR16, U Mumba TT)

The ace African paddler Quadri Aruna is currently ranked 16th in the world and will be returning to India for his third outing in the Ultimate Table Tennis. The 34-year-old experienced campaigner broke into the Top-10 last year, becoming the first African player to achieve the milestone.

A three-time Olympian was drafted by U Mumba TT as he will team up with two of India’s exciting young talents — Manav Thakkar and Diya Chitale. Aruna has been in good form this year, having finished runner-up at the 2023 ITTF-Africa Cup and reaching quarter-finals at the Singapore Smash in March.

2. Omar Assar (WR22, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis)

The 2023 World Championships quarter-finalist Omar Assar has been in red-hot form at the international circuit. The World No. 22 not only lifted the ITTF-Africa Cup for the second successive time earlier in May but also made two quarter-finals appearances at WTT events this year in Germany and Amman. The 31-year-old Egyptian star was picked by Puneri Paltan Table Tennis as he will look to continue his rich form when he makes a UTT debut in the Season 4.

3. Lily Zhang (WR24, U Mumba TT)

Lily Zhang is an American player of Chinese descent who has been making waves in table tennis since a young age. Zhang was just 12 when she became the youngest-ever player to make the USA women’s national team.

In 2014, she clinched a bronze at the Youth Olympic Games to become the first-ever USA paddler to achieve that feat. Besides winning four gold medals at the 2019 Pan American Championship, she also bagged mixed doubles bronze at the 2021 World Championships. Zhang, who featured in the Season 2, will be part of the U Mumba TT squad during her return to the league.

4. Yangzi Liu (WR33, Chennai Lions)

The Australian rising star Yangzi Liu has been making rapid strides at the international circuit since making her debut at the 2019 Estonian Open where she claimed both the junior and senior titles. She also won the singles and team event bronze medals at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

The World No. 33 is part of the defending champions Chennai Lions’ squad in her debut UTT season as she will team up with one of India’s greatest paddlers Achanta Sharath Kamal.

5. Alvaro Robles (WR43, Goa Challengers)

Alvaro Robles is quite a familiar name among the Indian fans as the Spanish star returns to India for his third season in the UTT. The World No. 43 will continue to represent Goa Challengers for the second season in a row. The 32-year-old was the first Spanish player to win a medal at the World Championship when he secured a doubles silver medal in 2019.

Robles has been one of the consistent performers at the international circuit over the years. This year too he made three semi-finals appearances at the WTT Star Contender Bangkok, WTT Feeder Germany and WTT Contender Amman.