The Shaze Challengers will be under the tutelage of two experienced heads in the form of former Dutch international Elena Timina and domestic coach A. Muralidhara Rao. In Elena Timina, the Challengers have a former player who holds the distinction of representing both Russia and the Netherlands at the Olympics. As a coach, Timina masterminded 2 Gold medals and 1 Silver medal for the Dutch side in the European Championships. And with her bags of experience, it’s safe to say that the Challengers are in a good pair of hands.

Domestic coach A. Muralidhara Rao is a disciplinarian by nature and throughout his coaching career, he’s nurtured some of the country’s finest talent. In India’s table tennis fraternity, Rao emerges as one of the most renowned figures given his highly successful table tennis facility in Tamil Nadu. Rao’s famous SDAT-AKG academy has consistently churned out gifted players, the most famous one perhaps is Achanta Sharath Kamal.

Indian Players:

17-year-old Manav Thakkar along with Soumyajit Ghosh form the two Domestic Men’s players for the Challengers. The former represents the youngest male Indian star in the Ultimate Table Tennis League. He brings with him raw potential coupled with the insatiable need to prove himself. His counter-attacking style makes him an exciting prospect to watch.

The other Indian male player Soumyajit Ghosh, is a well-known figure in India’s table tennis circuit. The 24-year-old, at a young age, has already participated in two Olympics, London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.

In the Indian Women’s category, the Challengers have another 17-year-old in Moumita Dutta. ‘Mou’ as she’s fondly called, displays an aggressive style of play. As far as idols go, Moumita looks up to Serena Williams. The right-hander also has 3 Gold medals in the Iran Open under her belt. Keep an eye on Mou and her fierce nature during this edition of the UTT.

Complimenting Moumita Dutta’s prodigious talent will be veteran Mouma Das. At 33 years of age, Das has been monumental figure in the Indian table tennis circles. The Challengers will look at her in the hopes of winning the inaugural UTT edition, and in the Arjuna Awardee, they have reliable shoulders to depend on. Das’ most memorable performances came at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the one in New Delhi, where she bagged a Silver and a Bronze medal.

Foreign Players:

In Andrej Gacina and Li Ping, the Challengers have a formidable duo to lead the challenge. Both aged 31, have the potential to take their side to the UTT crown. Li Ping represents Qatar in the international circuit and was the crowned winner in the Mixed Doubles category at the 2009 World Table Tennis Championship. Croat Andrej Gacina has notably bagged first position at the European Championship in the Doubles Category as well as second position in the team event.

As far as the international women players are concerned, the Challengers will believe they have the strongest pairing. Their first two Draft picks – Han Ying and Petrissa Solja are a force to reckon with. In Ying, the Challengers can boast of the highest ranked female player in the league. Ying along with Solja, represent Germany at an international level. And while Ying prefers a more defensive approach, Solja is famed for the attacking flair she brings to the table.

The Challengers are a well-built unit and pose a serious threat to all the other Ultimate Table Tennis teams. With the perfect blend of experience to go with youth, and two coaches who have been there and done that, will they pose a ‘challenge’? Find out when the Ultimate Table Tennis league begins on 13th July, 2017.