UTT 2025: Indian players keen to learn as Fan Siqi ends eight-year Chinese absence

After the second game of her debut against Kolkata Thunder Blades’ Selena Selvakumar on Monday, Fan Siqi headed towards Chennai Lions’ team box where coach Jorg Bitzigeio was ready with the strategy for the third and final one.

But the instructions had to be translated from English to Mandarin.

For the first time since Wu Yang in the inaugural season in 2017, the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league features a Chinese player.

How did this eight-year absence end? “I knew about UTT. I introduced her. I reached out to the league and asked if they were interested in her,” says Tony, Fan’s translator-cum-manager.

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Another factor which probably played a role in Fan’s availability for Season 6 is her bidding farewell to the international circuit after an incredible run from the qualifiers to the semifinals of a Grand Smash event—the highest tier of WTT tournaments—in China last year.

“After that match (loss to current World Champion Sun Yingsha in the semifinals), I decided to retire from international table tennis,” says the 27-year-old Fan, with the help of translator Tony. However, she hasn’t officially withdrawn from the ITTF Rankings.

To just say that the franchises were interested in roping in Fan during the first-ever auction in the tournament’s history would be an understatement. As many as five paddles were raised in a fierce bidding war, won by former Indian table tennis star Achanta Sharath Kamal’s Lions at Rs. 19.70 lakh virtual tokens—almost 40 per cent of the team’s purse.

While Fan (World No. 35) may not be the highest-ranked player participating in the league—it is World No. 12 Bernadette Szocs of Romania who is U Mumba’s captain—she has the record to justify Chennai’s decision to break the bank on her.

The right-handed player, who plays with a shakehand grip, has two WTT titles to her name and was ranked as high as 11th in 2023.

Also, UTT is not Fan’s first table tennis league experience outside her home country. “I have played in Japan’s T. League and in the African Champions League,” she says before adding that it is unique.

“From the best-of-three games format to mixed teams, everything is different,” says Fan, who struggled with the humidity inside the EKA Arena. At times, she even forgot that there is only one towel break in a game—after one player/pair has scored five points—in UTT, contrary to the international standard of one after every six points.

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For Indian players in UTT, playing with or against Fan has already been a fascinating experience so far.

“Initially, I was very nervous because I know she is better than me in terms of world ranking. I was able to compete during the rally games but lost most of the points when she served. In India, we know how players serve but against her, even in the third game, I couldn’t guess what she was serving. It was a little tough,” says Selena, who lost 0-3 to Fan.

Payas Jain has played two mixed doubles, partnering Fan Siqi, with a 1-1 win-loss record in Season 6.

“We are communicating well now. In the beginning, it was tough because she doesn’t speak English. We are communicating through signs but she is also learning English. Also, we have been training for 30-40 minutes every day and the bond is getting better and better,” says the 20-year-old Jain.

“She is very confident and takes the lead.”

For Poymantee Baisya, who joined the Lions as a replacement for the injured Jennifer Varghese, it is an opportunity to grow.

“Being a part of a team which has a Chinese player means there is a lot for me to learn,” says the 22-year-old.

In 2017, Falcons TTC—the team with Wu Yang in its squad—had won the title. It remains to be seen whether the Lions’ trust in Fan pays off.