New Delhi, Sep 2 : New Delhi will host some of India's biggest table tennis names, including reigning national champion Diya Chitale and Commonwealth Games gold medallists G. Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai, at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Tournament, beginning on September 7 at the Thyagraj Stadium.

The event has drawn an impressive 2958 entries, underscoring the sport's rising popularity. It also marks the first time since 2008 that the Delhi State Table Tennis Association (DSTTA) is hosting a national ranking tournament, though the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) last organised one in the capital in 2012 with support from Haryana.

Gurpreet Singh, president of DSTTA, expressed excitement over the unprecedented response. 'The number of entries, 2958, is a strong indicator of the interest the tournament has generated. I don't remember the last time there were these many entries for a national ranking event. We are fully ready to host the event,' he said.

The tournament, which runs until September 14, will feature 12 events across senior, U-19, U-17, U-15, U-13 and U-11 categories. Among the men's field, national champions Sathiyan, Harmeet, Anthony Amalraj, and Soumyajit Ghosh'who had faded from the national setup after appearing in the 2012 London Olympics'will headline the action.

In the women's field, Chitale is the favourite in a draw that also features veterans Mouma Das, Madhurika Patkar, Reeth Rishya, and Divya Deshpande.

One notable absentee will be Delhi's own Manika Batra, who is unavailable due to international commitments. Her world ranking has slipped to 55 in recent weeks.

The organising committee also includes national coach and Dronacharya awardee Sandeep Gupta, who highlighted the tournament's value for young players. 'With so many national champions part of the field, it is a great opportunity for the budding players in Delhi to see them in flesh and blood and learn from them at the same time. Playing against the best in the country, they would also get to upskill themselves,' said Gupta.

/IANS