Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 was officially opened at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Thursday by Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamil Nadu. Ahead of the first match of the season, the Sports Minister also live introduced the winners’ trophy in front of prominent Indian paddlers including Manika Batra, Sharath Kamal, and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, as well as UTT entrepreneurs Vita Dani and Niraj Bajaj. Starting on Thursday, UTT 2024 will continue over the next seventeen days, with the final planned for September 7.
The JLNS B Ground’s recently rebuilt football field was also formally opened by Udhayanidhi. Chennaiyin FC and the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) are working together to improve the sports facility. Co-owner Vita Dani of Chennaiyin FC gave the minister a unique keepsake—the team’s inaugural home jersey for the 2024–25 campaign—during the inauguration event. After the formal events, the Sports Minister spoke with the players and had a meeting with Owen Coyle, the head coach of Chennaiyin FC. Along with exploring the newly renovated field, he scored a penalty shot to open the field formally. Chennaiyin FC is actively preparing for the September 13 commencement of the Indian Super League 2024–25 season.
