Ultimate Table Tennis 2024: Athlead Goa Challengers Face Jaipur Patriots in UTT Season 5 Opener
Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 edition kicks off with reigning champions Athlead Goa Challengers taking on debutants Jaipur Patriots at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Thursday (August 22).
Defending champions Athlead Goa Challengers, anchored by Harmeet Desai and featuring the unbeaten Yangzi Liu from UTT 2023, will aim to achieve what no team has done before-defend their title.
“It’s a privilege to represent the Athlead Goa Challengers once again this time. Last year we qualified with a point margin and then went on to win the title. So it was a very, very special season with a special team,” Harmeet said.
“I’m looking forward to this year since it’s a different scenario because there will be eight teams you will be fighting against. So definitely, we are very confident, because this team has been very consistent, making it to the playoffs three times out of four. So, I’m looking forward to it and excited to play this season,” said Harmeet on his team’s chances.
Snehit SFR, meanwhile, underlined Jaipur Patriots’ goals for the campaign: “We face off against Goa challenges. They are the defending champions, and we want to win the match and set the tone for the tournament.
“Being a new franchise, there’s a lot of new energy, and a lot of enthusiasm, because the management is very experienced in different sports. I think we have a great team and have a great shot at doing well this season.”