UTT 2023: After a wait of three years, Ultimate Table Tennis is slated to begin from July 13 at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune. Ahead of the fourth season, four-time Olympian Elena Timina has been picked up by Goa Challengers whereas former German women’s team head coach Jorg Bitzigeio went to the defending champions Chennai Lions in the coaches draft for the Ultimate Table Tennis 2023. Follow UTT 2023 Live Updates with InsideSport.IN
UTT 2023: Elena Timina goes to Goa
A member of the 1994 World Cup-winning Russian team, Timina coached the Netherlands women’s side between 2012 and 2017 and had also led the side to two gold and one silver medal in the 2015 European Games.
𝐔𝐓𝐓 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭
Leading the pride, Somnath Ghosh & Jorg Bitzigeio for Chennai Lions 🦁🥁#UltimateTableTennis #TableTennis #TheRallyContinues | @SomnathGhoshTT pic.twitter.com/AAj4gNwDMc
— Ultimate Table Tennis (@UltTableTennis) May 5, 2023
Timina will be assisted by Indian coach Parag Agarwal. Each team is coached by one international and one Indian coach.
“The draft was wonderful for us. We got our two top coaches,” said Vivek Bhargava, the Goa Challengers’ owner.
UTT 2023: Bitzigeio moves to the defending champs team
Bitzigeio had guided the German women’s team to bronze medal at the 2010 World Team Championships.
𝐔𝐓𝐓 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭
Leading the pride, Somnath Ghosh & Jorg Bitzigeio for Chennai Lions 🦁🥁#UltimateTableTennis #TableTennis #TheRallyContinues | @SomnathGhoshTT pic.twitter.com/AAj4gNwDMc
— Ultimate Table Tennis (@UltTableTennis) May 5, 2023
He also coached the US national since 2017 and helped them win 47 medals in the Pan American Games.
“The combination of Somnath Ghosh and Jorg Bitzigeio will help us choose the best players available in the draft,” Chennai Lions owners Harini Yadav and Karishma Yadav said in a joint statement.
UTT debutants Bengaluru Smashers made the first pick in Round 1 to bring Sachin Shetty on board before adding Slovenia’s Vesna Ojstersek.
UTT 2023: Team coaches
Bengaluru Smashers: Vesna Ojstersek (Slovenia) and Sachin Shetty.
Chennai Lions: Jorg Bitzigeio (Germany) and Somnath Ghosh.
Dabang Delhi TTC: Slobodan Grujic (Serbia) and A Muralidhara Rao.
U Mumba TT: Francisco Santos (Portugal) and Anshul Garg.
Puneri Paltan: Zoltan Batorfi (Hungary) and N Ravichandran.
Goa Challengers: Elena Timina (Russia) and Parag Agrawal.
Editors pick
