Mumbai, June 3 (IANS): The Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) is set for an exciting 2024 season following its coach draft event, where each of the eight franchises selected both a foreign and an Indian coach. This year, the league has expanded to eight teams with the addition of Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots.

The draft saw significant selections, with Bengaluru Smashers picking Elena Timina from Netherlands, a four-time Olympian who led Goa Challengers to victory last season. Ahmedabad SG Pipers opted for the experienced Francisco Santos, marking his fifth UTT participation. Dabang Delhi TTC and Jaipur Patriots chose Indian coaches Sachin Shetty and Somnath Ghosh, respectively.

Four Indian coaches will make their UTT debut this season: Jay Modak with Ahmedabad SG Pipers, Anshuman Roy with Bengaluru Smashers, former national champion Subhajit Saha with Goa Challengers, and Subin Kumar with Chennai Lions. Dabang Delhi TTC reunited the successful combination of Shetty and Slovenian coach Vesna Ojstersek, aiming to improve on their 2019 runner-up finish.

Other notable appointments include U Mumba picking John Murphy, the current England team head coach while retaining Anshul Garg. Goa Challengers selected Hungarian women’s team coach Zoltan Bartofi, and Chennai Lions will be guided by Tobias Bergman, head coach of the Swedish national team, making his UTT debut.

The upcoming season, scheduled in Chennai from August 22 to September 7, promises to be an exciting chapter in UTT’s journey.

Teams and coaches (in the order of selection):

Bengaluru Smashers: Elena Timina (Netherlands), Anshuman Roy

Ahmedabad SG Pipers: Francisco Santos (Portugal), Jay Modak

Dabang Delhi TTC: Sachin Shetty, Vesna Ojstersek (Slovenia)

U Mumba TT: John Murphy (Ireland), Anshul Garg

Goa Challengers: Zoltan Batorfi (Hungary), Subhajit Saha

Puneri Paltan Table Tennis: Jorg Bitzigeio (Germany), Parag Agarwal

Jaipur Patriots: Somnath Ghosh, Ronald Redep (Croatia)

Chennai Lions: Tobias Bergman (Sweden), Subin Kumar