Meet Prakash Jasani — the 65-year-old Ultimate Table Tennis superfan from Maharashtra

The sixth season of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), the franchise-based league, is set to conclude on Sunday at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad. The Gujarat capital is the sixth city to witness the fast-paced action in as many editions.

While the organisers have made efforts to take the tournament to existing as well as new table tennis fans across the country, there is one aficionado who has been a constant presence at every venue – Prakash Jasani.

Jasani is a 65-year-old bespectacled man from the Gondia district of Maharashtra with a moustache the legendary Australian pacer Merv Hughes would be proud of.

“I’m a table tennis player myself. I started playing when I became a teenager and haven’t stopped since,” says the sexagenarian, who plays in the domestic tournaments for veterans and also runs a gas agency in his hometown.

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Jasani doesn’t just follow the league as a spectator. He also possesses a customised book for each season, with photographs and autographs of players, coaches and owners from every franchise.

“I even have the names of the owners. Sometimes, the people forget who the owners are,” says Jasani as he flips the pages of the Season 6 book.

Jasani possesses a customised book for each season, with photographs and autographs of players, coaches and owners from every franchise.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Jasani did not have a coach who could teach him the nuances of the game when he began playing. ‘Watch and learn’ was his only option.

“It can’t get any better than getting the chance to see international players in India. That’s why I have been watching UTT every year.”

One of the players Jasani admires is Quadri Aruna. The 36-year-old Nigerian is a member of Kolkata ThunderBlades, a side which made its UTT debut this season. Aruna has been a part of the league in all but one season.

Jasani’s customised book, UTT Season 5.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“Quadri Aruna is my favourite. He is extremely fit and has one of the most spectacular forehands,” he reveals.

Ankur Bhattacharjee, Payas Jain, Sayali Wani and Taneesha Kotecha are some of the rising Indians to keep an eye on, observes Jasani, who claims to have been a manager of the Maharashtra team at multiple National Championships.