At the launch of the fourth edition of the Table Tennis Super League (TTSL) in Chennai on Wednesday, former India international Anthony Amalraj made a strong case for the league-based format to be embraced more widely in Indian table tennis. His remarks highlighted the long-term benefits such systems could offer to players, both in terms of development and financial sustainability.
“In Europe, we’ve always had a league system. But in India, we mostly had a tournament system, and there’s a huge difference between the two,” Amalraj said. “In a tournament, if you lose once, you’re out—it’s over. But in a league, players get chances to bounce back, to take advice, and to improve. Financial stress is also lower in leagues because of sponsor support.”
The TTSL is part of Ultimate Table Tennis’ (UTT) grassroots initiative and serves as a platform for emerging talent. The Tamil Nadu leg of the league will feature six teams—Jappier Jaguars, Leo Legends, DRA Dragons, SSVM Smashers, Vibe Victors, and E Daddy Warriors. The event hopes to ignite local enthusiasm and expand the reach of the sport.
Amalraj, a silver medalist from the 2014 Commonwealth Games, believes the impact of professional leagues is already being felt. Since UTT’s inception in 2017, he noted, Indian table tennis has made significant progress. “Leagues are more professional. Since UTT started, India’s performance has seen a shift—our women’s team reached the Olympic quarterfinals, and now Indian players have the confidence to take on top nations like China and Japan,” he said.
Drawing a comparison to cricket, Amalraj also pointed out the disparity in the player pool between sports. “Only Sathiyan from Tamil Nadu made it to the World Championships this time. But see, we’re not like China, where lakhs of people play table tennis. It’s not like asking, ‘when will we get the next Virat Kohli in cricket?’ Because lakhs play cricket, you have a bigger pool. In table tennis, the player base is smaller. It takes time,” he explained. “After I came, Sathiyan came 3–4 years later. So it’s a gradual process.”
As the fourth edition of TTSL gets underway, Amalraj’s insights offer a reminder of the structural reforms needed to nurture talent in India. With league models offering not just opportunity but also financial stability, the roadmap for Indian table tennis may well lie in expanding and professionalizing these platforms.
