Ahmedabad: Dronacharya Awardee Raman Subramanian, German specialist Chris Pfeiffer, who has coached stars like Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra, veteran trainers Pavel Rehorek and Julien Girard, and former India No. 1 Jubin Kumar are all set to make their Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) coaching debuts in Season 6.
For the first time in the competition’s history, teams have been given the freedom to handpick their coaching staff. Earlier, franchises had to pick their coaches through a Coach Draft.
Joining the debutants are returning coaches Elena Timina, Parag Agrawal, Subhajit Saha, Soumyadeep Roy and Sachin Shetty, all eyeing their second UTT title.
The franchise-based league, promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India, will take place from May 29 to June 15 at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, a first-time UTT host.
Subramanian, now leading Season 2 champions Dabang Delhi TTC, brings extensive experience from coaching India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and will team up with fellow debutant Girard in a fresh coaching partnership. Pfeiffer, now at the helm of Ahmedabad SG Pipers, has played a key role in Indian table tennis since 2022, while Rehorek boasts a coaching career spanning over three decades.
Kumar, making his debut with Kolkata ThunderBlades, completes the lineup of newcomers. Meanwhile, seasoned coaches Timina, Shetty and Vesna Ojstersek return for their sixth consecutive UTT season, ensuring continuity and expertise.
Speaking about the coaching lineup, the UTT co-promoters said, “This season introduces exciting new coaching talent to an already formidable roster, further strengthening the league’s rich pool of expertise. For the first time, teams were able to approach coaches directly and select their own staff, allowing them to build setups that align with their strategies. This added control will enhance competition and ensure players receive top-tier, tailor-made guidance from the sidelines.”
Reigning champions Goa Challengers have reunited their Season 4-winning duo, Timina and Agrawal, as they aim for a historic third consecutive title. U Mumba TT have retained John Murphy as their foreign coach alongside Jay Modak, while Ojstersek joins former champion Saha at PBG Pune Jaguars.
Debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades have appointed Swedish coach Tobias Bergman to partner with Kumar, while former champions Chennai Lions have opted for Roy and German trainer Jorg Bitzigeio.
Jaipur Patriots have paired Shetty with first-time UTT coach Rehorek, while Ahmedabad SG Pipers will be guided by the duo of Somnath Ghosh and Pfeiffer.
Teams and coaches:
Ahmedabad SG Pipers: Somnath Ghosh; Chris Pfeiffer (Germany)
Jaipur Patriots: Sachin Shetty, Pavel Rehorek (Czech Republic)
PBG Pune Jaguars: Subhajit Saha; Vesna Ojstersek (Slovenia)
Goa Challengers: Parag Agrawal, Elena Timina (Netherlands)
Dabang Delhi TTC: Raman Subramanian; Julien Girard (France)
U Mumba TT: Jay Modak; John Murphy (Ireland)
Kolkata ThunderBlades: Jubin Kumar; Tobias Bergman (Sweden)
Chennai Lions: Soumyadeep Roy; Jorg Bitzigeio (Germany)
IANS
