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Tag: Achanta Sharath Kamal

  • IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis launches ‘Time To Turn The Tables Around’ OOH campaign

    IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis launches ‘Time To Turn The Tables Around’ OOH campaign

    Mumbai: IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) has teamed up with the official outdoor partner Mera Hoardings for the innovative ‘Time To Turn The Tables Around’ outdoor campaign as it gears up for the upcoming fifth season, to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai from 22 August to 7 September.

    As part of the campaign, striking inverted hoardings, featuring table tennis stars Achanta Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, Harmeet Desai, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manav Thakkar, are spread across Chennai from today, captivating both locals and visitors. These eye-catching displays showcase the Indian table tennis icons upside-down against the city skyline, delivering a compelling message: It’s time to ‘turn the tables’ and shift the perception of India from being a cricket-centric nation to one that celebrates a vibrant and diverse sporting ecosystem.

    “Our players are making their mark at the Paris Olympics, garnering much-deserved spotlight for the sport with Manika Batra and Sreeja raising their game. To complement their efforts, our OOH campaign aims to package the sport innovatively at the right time to reach a larger audience,” said UTT promoters Vita Dani and Niraj Bajaj.

    This inventive ‘inverted’ OOH campaign not only amplifies the game’s visibility but also highlights UTT’s transformative impact over the past five years. As table tennis has grown from a niche sport to a significant discipline within India’s sporting landscape, the league has been one of its most passionate advocates and prominent contributors.

    Extending their commitment to promoting Indian table tennis, UTT recently caught the attention of the global audience with the help of Mera Hoardings when the league’s promotion was featured on the iconic Times Square billboard in New York.

    The IndianOil UTT 2024 is the biggest edition of the league as, for the first time since its inception in 2017, eight teams will fight for the crown, with Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots joining PBG Bengaluru Smashers, Chennai Lions, Dabang Delhi TTC, Goa Challengers, U Mumba TT, and Puneri Paltan Table Tennis. The league is promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India.

    The league’s last season garnered an astounding 55.2 million views and achieved a reach of 62.1 million across digital platforms. The engagement was equally remarkable, with 1.2 million fan interactions throughout the event. The total media sponsorship value soared to 55.8 crore (6.7 million), underscoring the sport’s growing prominence. Viewership was robust with 195 million minutes watched in just 18 days. The live broadcasts attracted six million viewers, while an additional nine million tuned in through non-live content, reflecting the widespread and enduring interest in table tennis.

    This dynamic and innovative month-long campaign will coincide with the much-anticipated fifth edition of the league which is set to witness high-voltage action with the participation of star Indian paddlers, including Manika Batra, Sharath Kamal, Sreeja Akula, and Sathiyan, alongside some of the world’s top players such as world number 13 Bernadette Szocs and Nigerian legend Quadri Aruna.

  • Elena Timina & A Muralidhara coaching UTT teams

    MUMBAI: With renowned coach Elena Timina, who masterminded two Gold medals and one Silver medal for the Dutch side in the European Championships, bringing tactical awareness to the fore and the team backed by domestic coach A Muralidhara’s fast experience, Shaze Challengers have the potential to pose a serious ‘challenge’ to the teams vying for top honours at the inaugural edition of CEAT UTT slated to begin on 13 July in Chennai.

    The Shaze Challengers features rising star Manav Thakkar along with Soumyajit Ghosh. While Manav at 17 is the youngest male Indian star in the CEAT UTT, 24-year-old Soumyajit has already participated in two Olympics, London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.

    After the positive impact of India Open 2017 in New Delhi in February 2017, Ultimate Table Tennis, developed by 11Even Sports, aims to take the sport of table tennis to greater heights.

    In the Indian Women’s category, the Challengers have another 17-year-old in Moumita Dutta. ‘Mou’ as she’s fondly called, displays an aggressive style of play. The right-hander also has 3 Gold medals in the Iran Open under her belt. Complimenting Moumita Dutta’s prodigious talent will be veteran Mouma Das. At 33, Das has been monumental figure in the Indian table tennis circles.

    The Challengers will look at her in the hopes of winning the inaugural UTT edition, and in the Arjuna Awardee, they have reliable shoulders to depend on. “We have some exceptional talent in our team with young guns who are eager to prove their might in front of home crowd. We have picked the team with a deliberate effort to keep the team youthful with also some players who bring great experience to the team. We are geared up for the start and we are confident of some exciting performances,” expressed team coach A Muralidhara, who spearheads the highly successful SDAT-AKG Academy in Chennai which has churned out gifted players including the famous Achanta Sharath Kamal.

    In Andrej Gacina and Li Ping, the Challengers have a formidable duo to lead the challenge. Both aged 31, have the potential to take their side to the CEAT UTT crown. Li Ping represents Qatar in the international circuit and was the crowned winner in the Mixed Doubles category at the 2009 World Table Tennis Championship. Croat Andrej Gacina has notably bagged first position at the European Championship in the Doubles Category as well as second position in the team event.

    As far as the international women players are concerned, the Challengers will believe they have the strongest pairing. Their first two Draft picks – Han Ying and Petrissa Solja are a force to reckon with. In Ying, the Challengers can boast of the highest ranked female player in the league. Ying along with Solja, represent Germany at an international level. And while Ying prefers a more defensive approach, Solja is famed for the attacking flair she brings to the table.

    Shaze Challengers Match Schedule:
    July 14th – vs Dabang Smashers TTC
    July 17th – vs Oilmax-Stag Yoddha
    July 21st – vs Falcons TTC
    July 24th – vs DHFL Maharashtra United
    July 27th – vs RP-SG Mavericks