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

Mumbai (Best Hindu News): The fourth season of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTTE) will be held from July 13 to 30 at Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune. Indian fans will get to see world class action through this event.

Promoted by Neeraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the aegis of Table Tennis Federation of India, the franchise-based league features six star-studded franchise teams – Bengaluru Smashers, Chennai Lions, Dabang Delhi TTC, Goa Challengers, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis and U Mumba TT, Will battle it out for 18 days for a coveted trophy. The entire action will be telecast live on Sports 18 and will also be streamed live on JioCinema.

In less than a month, the table tennis festival will begin in the country. So, it is important to take a look at the top five international stars who will be seen in action in Season 4. These stars are as follows-

1. Kadri Aruna (World Ranking 16, U Mumba TT): African table tennis star Kadri Aruna, currently ranked 16 in the global rankings, is coming to India for the third time to take part in Ultimate Table Tennis. The 34-year-old veteran had broken into the top-10 of the world rankings last year. He became the first African player to achieve this milestone. The three-time Olympian was drafted by U Mumba TT. He will be teaming up with two exciting young talents from India – Manav Thakkar and Diya Chitale. Aruna has been in good form this year. He was the runner-up at the 2023 ITTF-Africa Cup and reached the quarterfinals at the Singapore Smash held in March.

2. Umar Asar (world ranking 22, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis): 2023 World Championships quarter-finalist Umar Asar has been in scintillating form in the international circuit. The world No. 22 player not only won the ITTF-Africa Cup for the second time in a row in May but also made it to the quarterfinals twice in WTT events held in Germany and Amman this year. The 31-year-old Egyptian star has been picked by Puneri Paltan Table Tennis. He will look to continue his fine form as he makes his debut in UTT with Season 4.

3. Lily Zhang (World Ranking-24, U Mumba TT): Lily Zhang is an American player of Chinese origin, who has been at the center of discussion in the world of 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, Zhang won a bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games. She became the first American table tennis player to achieve this feat. Besides winning four gold medals at the 2019 Pan American Championships, Zhang also won a mixed doubles bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships. Zhang, who played in UTT Season 2, will make her return to the league this year and will be seen in action for the U Mumba TT team.

4. Yangzi Liu (World Ranking 33, Chennai Lions): Australian rising star Yangzi Liu has been taking off on the international circuit since making her debut at the 2019 Estonian Open. In the Estonian Open, he won the title of both junior and senior categories. He also won a bronze medal in the singles and team events at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The world number 33 player is part of the defending champions Chennai Lions squad in her maiden UTT season. She will team up with India’s greatest paddler Achant Sharath Kamal to take on the challenge.

5. Alvaro Robles (World Ranking 43, Goa Challengers): Alvaro Robles is a well-known name among Indian fans. The Spanish star is returning to India for his third season at UTT. The world number 43 will represent Goa Challengers for the second consecutive season. The 32-year-old Alvaro is the first Spanish player to win a medal at the World Championship. He had won the doubles silver medal in 2019. Robles has been one of the most consistent players on the international circuit over the years. This year too, he has made it to the semi-finals thrice at WTT Star Contender Bangkok, WTT Feeder Germany and WTT Contender Amman.