Ultimate Table Tennis 2024: How Chennai is lapping up TT action

At the Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 in Chennai, top TT players are providing audiences with exciting sporting entertainment.

The golden point has been announced and the crowd is on the edge of its seat.

Table tennis comes to life at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, with the ongoing Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league dishing up some exciting matches for the city’s sports enthusiasts. Some of the world’s best paddlers are in Chennai for the league, which features eight teams and 48 players, including 16 international stars. MetroPlus catches up with three of the top stars:

Bernadette Szocs (Ahmedabad SG Pipers)

For this Romanian, currently ranked 13 in the world, the Indian experience is unique. “I love playing TT in India because it gives me the opportunity to clash against a variety of players. I would love to be part of the forthcoming seasons of the league,” she says.

What have her key learnings been? “Indian players are special and have rubbers that are found only here and nowhere in the world. Even the tempo of the game is different with the Indian players. The UTT gives us players from across the globe a chance to understand how the game differs, and to adapt to that.”

Bernadette’s initiation into the sport was at a young age, when she once accompanied her parents to watch her brother play a tournament. “I remember him winning his first medal and feeling very proud,” she recalls, “I immediately pestered my parents to get me into the sport too and the very next day, I managed to land a ball.” Years later, her brother and Bernadette would clash against each other in mixed doubles at the Romanian championships. “He is provocative and always challenges me.”

Back in Romania, Bernadette is careful on how she presents herself. “When a child comes to me and says that she wants to be like me, it is a great feeling. There is also pressure, but it feels very nice.”