Bengaluru Smashers are high on confidence after registering their first victory against defending champions Chennai Lions in the last tie and will look to continue their winning form as they face Puneri Paltan Table Tennis in the ongoing IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis Season 4 on Sunday at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mahalunge-Balewadi in Pune.
A win will also keep Bengaluru Smashers in the semi-finals race, while a defeat for them could weaken their chances to qualify for the knockout stage of the league.
The franchise-based league, promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).
Bengaluru Smashers will hope that the highest-ranked paddler in India, Manika Batra continue her positive results, while Kirill Gerassimenko and Natalia Bajor are also the key players for the franchise.
"The last few ties were really difficult but a win against the defending champions Chennai Lions has given us a lot of confidence that we can always make a comeback. We are looking forward to fight and give our best in the next tie against Puneri Paltan Table Tennis," commented Kirill ahead of the upcoming tie against Puneri Paltan Table Tennis.
On the other hand, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis have been in fine form as well and have won their last two ties against Dabang Delhi TTC and table toppers Goa Challengers. They will bank on their young players Manush Shah and Archana Kamath apart from their international star World No. 23 Omar Assar.
Manush stated, "We have been in great form and performed well in the last tie as well. Omar has been in great form and gives us a solid start. All the franchises are really competitve in this league and we take each tie as it comes and now our focus is on the next tie which we want to win."
All the Season 4, powered by DafaNews, ties start at 7.30 PM with broadcast on Sports 18 and streamed on JioCinema. The tickets are available on BookMyShow.
Ultimate Table Tennis Media Release