Taking place on March 28th, 2018; the Player Draft Pool for the 2nd edition of CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) will feature six categories of players divided among two diverse types of players: Foreign and Indian.

With a total of 52 players constituting the Draft Pool, each franchisee should pick a total of eight (8) players consisting of two (2) Foreign Male Players, two (2) Foreign Female Players, one (1) Indian Male (Senior) Player, one (1) Indian (Youth) Male Player, one (1) Indian Female (Senior) Player and one (1) Female (Youth) Player by the end of the Draft.  

Before the Draft Process begins, a list of all Players in the Draft Pool, along with their profiles, shall be circulated to the Franchisees to help them select their Players. This list has been prepared by ESPL on a best effort basis. But to avoid any issues whatsoever, the Franchisees are advised to conduct their own background research on Players before making a choice in the Draft.

Each Franchisee will get three (3) minutes to decide and announce their choice of player. If a Franchisee fails to make their selection of Player within the given three (3) minutes even after being prompted to do so, then at ESPL’s discretion, it will be given the right to forfeit a selected Player at that time and, in these circumstances, such Franchisee will get a chance to again make its selection at the end of the round. If the Franchisee which has forfeited its right to select a Player is the last Franchisee required to select a Player in the relevant round, then it will get an opportunity to select a Player at the end of the next round, corresponding to its forfeited pick in the current round.

Players once picked cannot be exchanged, replaced, transferred or traded unless expressly approved by ESPL due to exigent circumstances at its discretion. In case of injury or unavailability to participate, a ‘Reserve Player’ shall be provided to the specific franchise.

Talking about the star attractions on display, Simon Gauzy and Doo Hoi Kem will be the players who stand out in their respective categories. Both are ranked 9th overall in the male and female categories respectively and could be the names which guide the team, they shall represent, across the finish line.

Coming to the top 20 ranked players in the world, Chaung Chih-Yuan from Chinese Taipei in the Male categories along with Lee Ho Ching from Hong Kong and Sakura Mori from Japan in the female category will all be players who hold the potential to steal the limelight.

All Indian top ranked players will be a part of the tournament ranging from senior players to upcoming talents in the form of youth players. This will be a great platform for them to seize their opportunity and cement their place in the National team for the upcoming ITTF events.

With so much on offer, 28th March will not only bring the draft but drama, tension and suspense as well. What will be interesting to find out is how the franchises react to players that make their team once the draft is over. Table Tennis fans across the world can catch all the excitement as it unfolds LIVE on Ultimate Table Tennis’ Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/UltimateTableTennis/videos/380065335795796/