Ultimate Table Tennis: Quadri, Zhang among top international stars in Season 4

Mumbai, June 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Some of the top international table tennis stars will be in action at the 4th season of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) to be held in Pune at the Balewadi Sports Complex from 13th to 30th. July.

Promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dan, the franchise league under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India will see six star teams – Bengaluru Smashers, Chennai Lions, Dabang Delhi TTC, Goa Challengers, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis and U Mumba TT – fight for the coveted trophy for 18 days. The action will be telecast live on Sports 18 and streamed on Jio Cinema.

Here’s a look at five top international paddlers who will be seen in action at the big table tennis carnival:

1. Quadri Aruna (WR16, U Mumba TT): Ace African paddler Quadri Aruna is currently ranked 16th in the world and returns to India for his third Ultimate Table Tennis trip. The 34-year-old seasoned Nigerian battler broke into the Top 10 last year, becoming the first African player to achieve the milestone. Quadri, a three-time Olympian, was selected by U Mumba TT as he teams up with two of India’s exciting young talents – Manav Thakkar and Diya Chitale. Aruna has been in good form this year, finishing second at the 2023 ITTF-Africa Cup and reaching the quarter-finals at the Singapore Smash in March.
2. Omar Assar (WR22, Puneri Palta Table Tennis): 2023 World Championships quarter-finalist Omar Assar has been in hot form on the international circuit. The world number 22 not only lifted the ITTF Africa Cup for the second time in a row earlier in May, but also made two quarter-finals at WTT events this year in Germany and Amman. The 31-year-old Egyptian star was selected by Puneri Paltan Table Tennis as he looks to continue his rich run of form as he makes his UTT debut in 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 years old when she became the youngest player ever to make the US women’s national team. In 2014, he won bronze at the Youth Olympics, becoming the first US paddler to achieve this feat. In addition to winning four gold medals at the 2019 Pan American Championships, she also won the mixed doubles bronze at the 2021 World Championships. Zhang, who appeared in season 2, is part of the U Mumba TT team on his return to the league.

4. Yangzi Liu (WR33, Chennai Lions): Australian rising star Yangzi Liu has made rapid strides on the international circuit since his debut at the 2019 Estonian Open, where he won both the junior and senior titles. He also won bronze in the singles and team events at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The world number 33 will be part of the defending champions Chennai Lions squad in his debut UTT season as he makes the squad for one of India’s greatest paddlers, Achanta Sharath Kamal.

5. Alvaro Robles (WR43, Goa Challengers): Alvaro Robles is quite a familiar name among Indian fans as the Spanish star returns to India for his third season with UTT. The world number 43 continues to represent Goa Challengers for the second consecutive season. The 32-year-old became the first Spanish player to win a medal at the World Championships when he secured silver in the doubles in 2019. Robles has been one of the most consistent performers on the international circuit over the years. Also this year, he played three semi-finals in WTT Star Contender Bangkok, WTT Feeder in Germany and WTT Contender in Amman.

Source: IANS

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