Dabang Delhi TTC Triumphs in UTT 2024 Opener, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran Shines
In a thrilling encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Dabang Delhi TTC secured their first victory of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) 2024 season, defeating Athlead Goa Challengers 3-2.
Captain Sathiyan Gnanasekaran led the charge for Delhi, showcasing his exceptional skills in a hard-fought battle against Mihai Bobocica. Despite Bobocica’s early advantage, Sathiyan rallied back to claim the match in three games.
Orawan Paranang also played a pivotal role for Delhi, becoming the first paddler to defeat Yangzi Liu in UTT history. Paranang’s impressive performance continued in the mixed doubles, where she and Sathiyan teamed up to overcome Liu and Harmeet Desai.
Harmeet Desai, captain of Athlead Goa Challengers, displayed resilience in the second men’s singles, bouncing back from a game down to defeat Andreas Levenko. However, Diya Chitale sealed the victory for Delhi with a decisive win over Yashaswini Ghorpade.
Sathiyan and Paranang were recognized for their outstanding contributions, earning the Indian and Foreign Player of the Tie honors, respectively. Sathiyan also received the DafaNews Shot of the Tie award, while Bobocica claimed the ACT Fastest Rally of the Tie.
The franchise-based UTT 2024, promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), continues on Thursday with PBG Bengaluru Smashers facing Jaipur Patriots.
