Kolkata ThunderBlades joins UTT 2025 as new franchise
Kolkata ThunderBlades joins UTT 2025 as new franchise
Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) has added a new franchise, Kolkata ThunderBlades, ahead of its sixth edition. The season will also see Puneri Paltan in a revamped avatar as PBG Pune Jaguars. Matches will take place in Ahmedabad, a first-time venue, from May 29 to June 15.
Co-owned by the Uneecops Group and MVikas Group, Kolkata ThunderBlades is led by Ketan Jain and Rajat Kumar, former national-level table tennis players. Anshul Garg returns in a new role as Team Director after overseeing successful teams in Seasons 4 and 5.
Ketan expressed excitement about the franchise’s involvement, stating, “We are eager to build a competitive team in Kolkata, which has a strong sporting culture, and bring the city’s fans something to rally behind.”
In UTT 2025, eight teams will be split into two groups of four, playing five league-stage ties — three within their group and two against teams from the other group. The top four teams will advance to the knockouts, with the final on June 15.
After being staged in Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai in its previous editions, it will be the first time UTT will be played in a city in Gujarat. The league will continue to feature eight teams.
