Indian table tennis legend Sharath Kamal, 40, who has been retained by Ultimate Table Tennis’s (UTT) defending champions Chennai Lions for the upcoming edition of the franchise-based event to be played in July at Pune’s Balewadi Sports Complex, believes the league has given the country’s paddlers the confidence to take on the world’s top players abroad.

India’s paddlers won a historic bronze medal at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and with Hangzou hosting the next edition this September, the UTT is perfectly timed.