CHENNAI: With the first leg of the Ultimate Table Tennis coming to a close, there were mixed reviews. On Day 1, crowd turnout was poor. But that was not the case on Thursday. The stands were more populated with banners and posters of local stars visible here and there. A Sharath Kamal was seen taking pictures with fans and there was a lot of noise and cheering for the home-grown players.
Tournament director Kamlesh Mehta felt the event will attract more as it proceeds and the last day of the Chennai leg was encouraging. “We are very happy with the way the first leg was organised. I would like to thank the federation and association for their support. Indian players have benefitted a lot from the tournament. Also, the local crowd in Chennai were superb,” Kamlesh told Express.
While the crowd and noise is a great motivation for players, some of them were not satisfied with the format of the tournament. “It’s a new format and people will take time to adjust. There is no time for planning and executing. You just go in, give your best. I think the format is benefiting the underdogs. Since there is very little time, the players don’t even realise that they are playing a higher-ranked player,” said G Sathiyan of Dabang Smashers.
Junior players like Manav Thakkar and Archana Kamath relished the experience of playing with stars.
Archana, who has had a short stint in the second division of German league, was quick to point out the difference in time and duration. “In Germany, we play on weekends. Here it is everyday. But we have at least one day to rest. So it’s not that taxing,” said Archana.
The foreigners, especially Marcos Freitas and Wu Yang, were finding it difficult to adjust to the 10-second rule and were under a lot of pressure initially. Kamlesh said such issues will be addressed. “We are planning to sit with the players and team officials after all the legs and discuss the changes required regarding duration and format. But changes can be expected only next season,” said the former national champion.
The aim to attract a younger audience through TV also did not work the way it was expected. Since matches go on till 11 pm, most kids find it difficult to keep up with other activities, especially on weekdays. “The best part about the tournament is, there are many climaxes. You never know who is going to beat you. Even at my place, the TV is on till the matches are done. People carry on with their work the next day,” Sharath Kamal said. But organisers said this issue will be addressed like the format and rules.
“The thing about broadcast is, we have to check with the channel also regarding timing. It’s a huge process and we will definitely look in to it,” Kamlesh concluded.
vimalsankar@newindianexpress.com