Vadodara, January 14: The two back-to-back UTT National Ranking Championships, the first of which begins tomorrow at the Sama Indoor Complex here, has come as a blessing in disguise for the domestic players, particularly after the last season saw fewer domestic activities, and that too just before the Nationals get underway from February.

Naturally, the quick reaction of the players to the announcement by the newly-elected Executive Committee of TTFI soon after taking charge on December 19 was so overwhelming that they responded with over 1,800 entries in all categories put together from 1,200 plus paddlers from across the country. Understandably, the Table Tennis Association of Baroda, the district outfit hosting the championships, is pulling no stops to make the event a great success. The last time it organised the Junior and Youth Nationals was in 2017. 

Incidentally, this will be the first National Ranking event that will offer pay parity in prize money in both sections after it was introduced last June by the Committee of Administrators during the Alappuzha Junior Nationals in 2022. In addition, the championships have also introduced mixed doubles events, a new feature added to the National Ranking events by TTFI, keeping in mind the medal prospects in the Asian Games and the Olympics. 

The Vadodara championships will undoubtedly miss the likes of the top-ranked Indian in the world Manika Batra (35), G. Sathiyan (39) and A. Sharath Kamal (49), who are competing in the international events. But the event will not suffer their absence as Gujarat's Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar and the local boy Manush Shah, besides the others, will lead the pack of star casts.

The opportunity also presents the players to make the most of the top players' absence to grab the titles and the sizeable prize money and, more importantly, log their first points on the ranking table before the Nationals, which kickstarts with the Junior and Youth championships in Chennai from February 8.

The new Executive body, under President Meghna Ahlawat, Secretary General Kamlesh Mehta and Treasurer P. Nagender Reddy, has also introduced the open draw in all categories, following the footprints of the International Table Tennis Federation, to bring in more fairness and transparency. Not surprisingly, the move has fetched all-around appreciation from players, parents and coaches, applauding the efforts of TTFI.

Tomorrow, the events begin with Under-11 Girls and Boys, followed by Under-13 Girls and Boys, and possibly, the Under -15 singles events. With so many entries, it will be a tricky challenge for the Competition Department of the TTFI to complete the schedule of events daily in the next six days, even if it means stretching every bit of officials' sinew.

The Competition Manager, N. Ganeshan, is game for it with his referee's team headed by A.S. Kler, his deputy Mangesh Mopkar and 55 Blue Badge, International National Umpires. 

Ganeshan also said TTFI has roped in two equipment partners, Stag and Stiga, for the championships.