Broadcast on the Star Sports network and streamed on JioHotstar, the tie will take place at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium

Goa, July 17, 2026: Former champions Dabang Delhi TTC and unbeaten Dempo Goa Challengers renew one of Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis' biggest rivalries on Friday in a repeat of the 2024 final, with both sides looking to strengthen their positions in Butterfly UTT Season 7 powered by ChatGPT. Earlier in the day, Ahmedabad APL Pipers and HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades, locked on one win apiece, face off in a crucial contest as the battle for the playoff places intensifies.

Delhi will be eager to bounce back after their unbeaten start came to an end in a dramatic Golden Point thriller against reigning champions U Mumba TT, while Goa arrive as the league's only unbeaten side after three impressive victories built on contributions across their line-up. Ahmedabad, meanwhile, have emerged as one of the competition's most dangerous teams despite two narrow 8-7 defeats, while Kolkata have also shown their resilience in a campaign where all three of their ties have been decided by a single game.

Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, Butterfly UTT Season 7 features 42 players from around the world, including 14 Olympians, while continuing to strengthen the Indian table tennis ecosystem through elite competition and year-round development initiatives.

The headline clash sees two former champions go head-to-head as Dabang Delhi TTC take on Dempo Goa Challengers, with both sides looking to strengthen their playoff push. It also brings together some of the biggest names in Butterfly UTT Season 7. Breakout teenager Abhinandh PB has been one of the stories of the campaign, remaining unbeaten through three ties while amassing the second-most men's points (88) and leading the league in both serve success and forehand winners.

A potential meeting between Abhinandh and Indian stalwart Sathiyan Gnanasekaran would be one of the tie's standout contests, while league leader Alvaro Robles (89 men's points won) could also lock horns with Egypt's Youssef Abdelaziz. In the women's draw, reigning MVP Bernadette Szocs and Spain's Maria Xiao are among the stars who could add another chapter to one of the competition's marquee rivalries.

Earlier in the day, Ahmedabad APL Pipers and HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades meet in a crucial mid-table clash. Ahmedabad have arguably been the league's unluckiest side, pushing both Dempo Goa Challengers and U Mumba TT to 8-7 thrillers, while Kolkata have also lived on the edge, with all three of their ties decided by a single game.

The individual battles promise plenty. A potential clash between Payas Jain and Ankur Bhattacharjee pits two of Season 7's breakout Indian stars, ranked third and fourth in men's points won with 86 and 84 respectively. If they meet, Sofia Polcanova and Zeng Jian would also headline a blockbuster women's contest, with Polcanova leading the league on 91 points won and Zeng ranking third on 88 while topping the women's field with a 60 per cent serve success rate.

Butterfly UTT Season 7 Schedule

July 17, 2026

5:00 PM | Ahmedabad APL Pipers vs HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades

7:30 PM | Dabang Delhi TTC vs Dempo Goa Challengers

Butterfly UTT Season 7 Teams

Ahmedabad APL Pipers: Manika Batra, Sofia Polcanova (Austria), Adrien Rassenfosse (Belgium), Sanil Shetty, Kavya Bhatt, Payas Jain

HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades: Ankur Bhattacharjee, Ayhika Mukherjee, Eduard Ionescu (Romania), Zeng Jian (Singapore), Taneesha Kotecha, Jeet Chandra

Dabang Delhi TTC: Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Divyanshi Bhowmick, Maria Xiao (Spain), Youssef Abdelaziz (Egypt), Raegan Albuquerque, Sutirtha Mukherjee

Dempo Goa Challengers: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Alvaro Robles (Spain), Abhinandh PB, Divyansh Srivastava, Syndrela Das, Ananya Chande