Panaji, Jul 8 (PTI) Manav Thakkar says facing off against his men’s doubles partner Manush Shah will be tough when the seventh edition of the Ultimate Table Tennis tournament begins here on Thursday.
The seven-team tournament will get underway here at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium with the defending champions U Mumba TT to take on Dempo Goa Challengers in the tournament opener.
“Manush and I have been doing really well in doubles, and we’re currently ranked World No. 3, so facing him will definitely be tough,” Thakkar said at a press conference here on Wednesday.
“We’re both growing as players, and with the Asian Games coming up this year, we’re preparing hard. Hopefully, this week helps us build momentum, and we can go on to win a medal for the country,” he added.
On his part, Shah admitted that the transition would be tricky.
“The transition between playing alongside and against your regular partners can sometimes be tricky, but there’s always plenty of friendly banter among teammates and fellow Indian players,” Shah said.
The tournament this year will carry a greater significance for the Indian players who will take part in the Asian Games in Japan in September-October.
PBG Pune Jaguars’ Diya Chitale said, “When it’s 6-6, and you know those last four or five points can decide the outcome, it’s a situation we don’t often experience elsewhere.” “Playing in those moments has really helped me develop as a player, and I think it’s excellent preparation ahead of the Asian Games,” she added.
This year’s edition will continue to have one of the most recognised faces of the competition in Romania’s Bernadette Szocs, who had helped U Mumba TT to win the title last season. In this edition, Szocs will represent Dempo Goa Challengers.
“The league keeps growing with each season, and every year it becomes even better. Last season, winning the title was something truly amazing, a feeling I can’t really describe in words,” Szocs said.
The seventh edition of UTT will also have the AI-powered Table Tennis Review (TTR) system, through which the league aims to review contested decisions under 20 seconds. PTI DDV AM AM
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