With the fanfare around the second edition of the Prime Table Tennis (PTT) building up, the Prime Masters League, a promotional event to PTT, has just been concluded.
The tournament, which took place between October 19 & 20, saw eight teams participate, featuring the best veteran table tennis players from the state of Maharashtra.
Team Spartans emerged victorious in the Prime Masters League, defeating Team Yodhas in the finals, with crucial contributions coming from Prasad Naik.
The eight teams in the Prime Masters League were divided into two pools, and following a round-robin format of games, the top two from each group advanced to the semifinals. Team Lion Warriors finished in third place and the focus now shifts to the PTT.
Speaking about the Prime Masters League, PTT CEO Abhishek Jain said “It (Prime Masters League) is designed to bring in experienced and senior players who have a wealth of knowledge and expertise.”
He also talked about how these veterans can pull audiences, especially fans who have followed these players during their playing years.
“It will also draw attention from fans who follow these veterans, thus expanding our audience base and promoting the sport more holistically,” he added.
Excitement with the new format
The semifinals of Prime Masters League were an exciting affair with both the matches going down to the wire, thanks to the Golden Singles format introduced by Prime Table Tennis.
In the match between Team Yodhas and Team Clippers, the score was tied at 6-6 and then a decider had to be played in the 64+ age category, which Team Yodhas ultimately won.
Similarly, Team Spartans, the winners, were trailing 4-6 to Team Lions but then a streak of three wins from Spartans put them in the finals.
Team Spartans were a happy unit after their victory with the owners and players all in unison celebrating their title.
For team owners Mr. Siddharth Nigam and Mrs. Pooja More, this is their third title win in the PTT promotional leagues, a testament to their squad building and strategy at the auction table.
Prime Masters League: Top achievers
Along with the winners, runners, and third-place awards, the Prime Masters League also recognized the outstanding performers of the tournament.
Swati Thube of Team Lion Warriors won the Most Promising Woman Player of the tournament, whereas the Most Promising Male Player of the tournament was awarded to Prasad Naik of Mumbai from Team Spartans, where he played a crucial role in their title-winning run.
Nachiket Deshpande from Team Ninjas won the Fair Play award, given for upholding the spirit of the game.
Prime Table Tennis’ MP edition to start on December 13
With the promotional event done, the main event of PTT season 2 has set sights on the expansion of the league and is slated to commence in Madhya Pradesh on the 13th of December.
The major change in season 2 is the addition of Madhya Pradesh as the second venue along with Maharashtra, and the first leg of the tournament will be played there from 13th December till 15th December.
“These regions are often overlooked by mainstream leagues, but they have passionate sports communities that deserve to be included and ensure parents look at table tennis as profession for their children,” said Abhishek Jain on the league’s expansion into Madhya Pradesh.
Additionally, bringing the league to these states/cities gives local players a chance to shine on a bigger stage,” he added.
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