MPL Table Tennis 2023
by Prashant Kapadia/NHN
MPL TT to start from June 16
Mumbai, June 6: Leading players, seniors and juniors, from Mumbai will be seen competing for their respective teams and action-packed and exciting contests will be witnessed during the 3-day DCB Bank-Mumbai Premier League (MPL) – Table Tennis 2023. The MPL jointly organized by The Suburban Table Tennis Association (TSTTA, Mumbai) and the Mumbai City District Table Tennis Association (MCDTTA) will be played at the Prabodhankar Thackeray Krida Sankul (PTKS), Vile Parle from June 16 to 18, 2023.
The MPL is a franchise-based eight team competition. Each team will comprise of players in six categories – Veterans (39+), Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys and Junior Girls and Sub-Junior Boys. The eight teams will compete on a league-cum-knockout basis and table tennis enthusiasts are certain to witness many tense and absorbing battles for supremacy.
The teams and owners are – Super Titans (owners: Bhavesh Shah and Pinakin Sampat), Ping Panthers (owners: Nishad Naik and Samir Raut), Century Bashers (owners: Sandeep Katiyar, Raman Iyer and Prakash Panjabi), Mumbai Royals (owner: Nishant Vora), Thunder Falcons (owners: Preeti Bhowmick and Ashlesha Trehan), Ping Pong Knights (owner: Bharat Saroopa), Underdogs (owner: Manoj Saroopa), PTKS Achievers (owners: Arvind Prabhoo and Sameer Bhate).
The teams have been divided into two pools of four each and will initially play on a round-robin league. The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the semi-finals.
The MPL was set rolling with the players’ auction conducted late last month. Veteran player Nishant Kulkarni, Regan Albuquerque (Mens), Dhruv Shah snd Sharveya Samant (Junior Boys) ruled the auction, as these players were purchased for far more than their base price.
Arvind Prabhoo, President TSTTA and PTKS Club, said, “It’s a wonderful thing that TSTTA is organizing the MPL as it was the need of the hour to organize this league. It has been almost 3 year no such league was organized in Mumbai. We are very excited to host the event at PTKS Club and are sure that all eight teams are going to put up a great show and Table Tennis is only going to grow from here.”
Yogesh Desai, who won a Gold medal at the World Veteran TT Championship in Oman early this year, is proud that TSTTA is in the forefront of organizing this event. “We at Team TSTTA (The Suburban Table Tennis Association) are unquestionably very excited and eager to organize the inaugural DCB Bank-MPL 2023. The MPL will provide an opportunity for players, especially the youngsters from all over Mumbai to showcase their enormous talents and potential,” stated Desai, Chairman TSTTA and Tournament Director of MPL 2023.
“I wish to thank all the owners of the eight teams for supporting the MPL which is being organized jointly with TSTTA and MCDTTA. I am confident that this event will be successful and benefit the youngsters,” added Deasai.
The MPL organizing committee is sure that the three day event is going to be a huge success, and the prime intention of organizing the league is creating more awareness for the sport of Table Tennis, to reach out to the masses and encourage kids and elders alike to play this exciting sport. Watch the champions in action at the PTKS Club (Vile Parle) and experience the exhilarating atmosphere.
The participating teams and owners: Super Titans (Bhavesh Shah and Pinakin Sampat), Ping Panthers (Nishad Naik and Samir Raut), Century Bashers (Sandeep Katiyar, Raman Iyer and Prakash Panjabi), Mumbai Royals (Nishant Vora), Thunder Falcons (Preeti Bhowmick and Ashlesha Trehan), Ping Pong Knights (Bharat Saroopa), Underdogs (Manoj Saroopa), PTKS Achievers (Arvind Prabhoo and Sameer Bhate).
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