MUMBAI:  Chennai Lions, the defending champions, will play Puneri Paltan Table Tennis in the first match of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 4 on July 13 at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune, the organisers confirmed on Monday when they released the schedule.

The six franchisees will compete in a total of 18 thrilling matches, including the semifinals and championship match. The grand finale will take place on July 30 while the semifinals are planned for July 28 and 29.

The remaining four franchises are Bangalore Smashers, Dabang Delhi TTC, Goa Challengers, and U Mumba TT. They are competing for the coveted trophy.

On July 14, Bangalore Smashers and U Mumba TT will play their season opener, while Dabang Delhi TTC and Goa Challengers will square off on July 15.

Top international athletes will compete in UTT Season 4, including renowned paddlers Quadri Aruna from Africa (WR16) and Lily Zhang from the United States (WR24), as well as Indian athletes Achanta Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran.

Payas Jain, SFR Snehit, and Diya Chitale, among many others, are some of the most promising new Indian talent to emerge in Season 4, continuing the UTT's record of doing so.

Under the sponsorship of the Table Tennis Federation of India, Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani are promoting the franchise-based league.

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