My focus is on 2026 Asian Games, want to start preparation with UTT

Ahmedabad, May 31 (PTI) Two-time CWG champion Harmeet Desai is focussed on a podium finish at next year's Asian Games in Japan and will use the sixth season of Ultimate Table Tennis, which will feature many accomplished players, to kick-start his preparations for the continent event.

Desai, currently ranked 66th in the world, bagged gold medals in men's team event at the 2018 Gold Coast and 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. He also has a bronze medal in men's doubles at Gold Coast and a bronze at the men's team event in 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

"I don't like to predict so much. I am just taking it step by step, at the moment I am just focussing on UTT," Desai, who will be turning out for two-time champions Goa Challengers in the eight-team UTT, told PTI.

"Definitely more important tournaments are coming. Next is Slovenia WTT tournament, Asian Games is also lined up next year so my focus is on to that as of now.

"The UTT is a great platform to start my preparations for the Asian Games as many world champions, Asian champions and Olympians are participating in the event," he added.

Goa Challengers are two-time defending champions, having won the title in 2023 and 2024 and are eyeing a hat-trick of crowns.

He feels the league has changed the face of the sport in India. It began in 2017 but because of COVID two seasons didn't happen.

"If you see the graph of Indian table tennis it has risen a lot. We used to be ranked around No.30 in the world but now we came up to top-10 in the recent past," Desai said.

"In the last Olympics both the teams qualified for the very first time. We have been winning medals at the Asian Championships, Commonwealth Games. So many players have entered into top-100 in world rankings.

"The juniors have been really doing well. Senior women team got into top-25 in the world rankings. These kind of things never happened before, so all credit goes to UTT because it gave us exposure to learn from foreign players, foreign coaches," he added.

Desai, who is from Surat, is excited to play in his home state, which is hosting the tournament for the first time.

"It's first UTT season in Gujarat, my home state, so I am really excited to perform before home fans. So it's a big opportunity to inspire youngsters who are taking table tennis as a future prospect.

"It will great platform youngsters of Gujarat to watch international players, including 32 Olympians," he noted.

The sixth season of UTT will be held at the EKA Arena here from May 31 till June 15. PTI SSC SSC AT AT