The WTT Star Contender event gets underway on February 27 with some of the best table tennis players in the world competing in Goa. This is the first time that India is hosting a top level WTT Series event.
What is a WTT Star Contender Series event?
The WTT Star Contender Series falls under the Contender Series of events that the WTT hosts to allow players to win ranking points and qualify for the WTT Cup Finals and WTT Champions Series.
WTT Series Star Contender events have a total prize money of $250,000.
WTT Series is the official professional table tennis series of events, with the world’s best players facing each other off in various category tournaments throughout the year with the four Grand Smashes being the ultimate prize to win. The six Star Contender events pit 48 men and women in the respective singles main draws, with the top 30 world ranks eligible to play, four among whom will compulsorily have to be in the world top 20.
Star Contender events also boast of a 16-team doubles main draw and an eight-team mixed doubles main draw. Eight qualifiers each in singles and four in doubles also get to scrap with the best while host countries are also provided with sufficient wild-card entries in both singles and doubles.
When and where is the tournament being played?
The tournament, conducted by the Government of Goa and Stupa Analytics, will be held at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor stadium from February 27-March 05, 2023.
Which top players are participating?
Here’s a look at the top-eight seeded singles players in the event. World No 1 Fan Zhendong leads the charge in men’s singles draw, while in women’s singles the top seed is world No 4 Wang Yidi.
Men’s singles
Women’s singles
A few other top names withdrew, as per WTT.
Which Indian players are in the main draw?
India’s challenge will be led by Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manika Batra.
Payas Jain, Wesley Do Rosario are also in the men’s singles draw while Sreeja Akula and Suhana Saini are in the women’s singles draw. Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar are in the men’s doubles draw along with Sharath and Sathiyan. The women’s doubles draw will see Manika pair up with Archana Kamath as well as the pair of Diya Chitale and Akula.
Sathiyan and Manika will team up in the mixed doubles draw as will the pair of Thakkar-Kamath and Saini-Rosario.
“Playing my first World Table Tennis event in Goa is going to be a great experience. It is always a great honour to play in front of a home crowd, and I can’t wait to hear them cheering us all on.” Manika Batra said.
“I am excited to be playing my first WTT Series event in India. The playing field is incredibly strong so all the matches are going to be tough. I hope as many fans as possible will come and support us in Goa.” Sathiyan added.
The qualification round of the event that will start the official proceeding for the WTT Star Contender Goa on 27th February will see a total of 13 Indians in action in the Men’s Singles Category that would include Manush Utpalbhai Shah, Sanil Shetty & Harmeet Desai while 15 Indian’s including Archana Girish Kamath and Reeth Tennison will fight for a spot in the main draw of the women’s singles category.
Indian players in the main draw of events at WTT Star Contender Series
Men’s singles main draw
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Achanta Sharath Kamal, Payas Jain, Wesley Do Rosario
Women’s singles main draw
Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Suhana Saini
Men’s doubles main draw
Harmeet Desai-Manav Thakkar, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran-Achanta Sharath Kamal
Women’s doubles main draw
Manika Batra-Archana Girish Kamath, Diya Parag Chitale-Sreeja Akula
Mixed doubles main draw
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran-Manika Batra, Manav Thakkar-Archana Girish Kamath, Suhana Saini-Wesley Do Rosario
Where to watch
Qualifying (27 - 28 February 2023): Tables 1-4 on WTT YouTube Channel
Main Draw (1 - 5 March 2023): Sony LIV or Eurosport in India as per WTT website
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