Table tennis to have professional league from 2016

The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) became the latest to climb on to the professional league bandwagon, announcing the launch of its own franchise-based tournament on Thursday.

The league, scheduled to be held from May 28 to June 12, will see eight teams fighting for top honours. The teams will have a foreign male and female player each as well as an Indian in both categories.

According to TTFI, it will be the first ever league to get a dedicated window by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

The financial aspect of the event will be looked after by a company called 11EVEN Sports, while the TTFI will provide the technical expertise.

The TTFI and 11EVEN Sports also signed a 10-year agreement for the promotion of the sport in the country.

Reigning national champion Soumyajit Ghosh said the league will help to improve the standard of table tennis in the country.

"We will get to play against the best in our own country. Most of the top Indian players train overseas right now. But with the arrival of the league, we will get to spend a lot of time with some of the best players in the world," Ghosh, who was also present at the launch here, told media persons.

"We will get valuable glimpses into how they train and how they prepare. It will also help Indian players to prepare ahead of international tournaments," he added.