World Table Tennis Contender Chennai Championship got off to a somewhat splashy but efficient and energetic start with Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin unveiling the tournament trophy to officially kick off an action-packed event where top global paddlers will be battling it out for the trophies.

Celebrating his life journey on the table tennis scenario for the country, living TT legend Achanta Sharat Kamal and the reigning women’s champion Diya displayed the table tennis skills mastered by the Indian players that have earned a place in the sun on a global scale, where our players have now become world beaters.

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Sharat Kamal, a ten-time national champion and a person who has contributed a lot to the game of table tennis in India, is playing his last tournament and will be retiring after this event. And what a story it is that his table tennis journey began in Chennai and is culminating in the same city, and at an event where top players in the world are participating — an event that truly justifies his exemplary conduct as a person and stupendous display of skills and disciplined conduct all through his playing years, almost countless.

In a brisk, quick and fast inaugural show heralding the week-long action-packed, super high-quality table tennis action, the TN Deputy Chief Minister said a lot with his silence and smile as he wished all the players well and left the venue to let the action begin. The action venue – the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium — was lit up in bright Deepawali firecrackers,  bidding the domestic star a fitting farewell.

In attendance at the global event was the team of officials who are making a splash with their effective pursuance of a practical sports policy that is doing a tonne of good to the sporting culture and achievements of the state. Tamil Nadu, of late, has become a strong TT hub in the country and is producing players of high quality. The winning team of Udhayanidhi Stalin in the sporting arena includes Atulya Misra, additional chief secretary and head of Youth Welfare and Sports Development), and J. Meghanatha Reddy, Member Secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, who were present at the inaugural ceremony.

The global event has attracted 158 players from across the world, including Olympic medalists and some of the sport’s biggest stars of the paddlers’ world.

Leading the international charge are Tomokazu Harimoto (#3, MS, Japan) and Hina Hayata (#5, WS, Japan), both Olympic medalists, who come in as the top seeds in the men’s and women’s singles events, respectively. They’ll be joined by a stellar lineup of medalists, including Miwa Harimoto (#6, WS, Japan), Shin Yu-bin (#10, WS, South Korea), Cheng I-Ching (#11, WS, Chinese Taipei), Doo Hoi Kem (#36, WS, Hong Kong), Lee Eun-hye (#39, WS, South Korea), and Lim Jong-hoon (#43, MS, South Korea).

For the first time ever, an Indian men’s doubles pair is the top-seeded entry at a WTT Star Contender event. Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar, fresh off a semi-final finish at WTT Star Contender Doha 2025, will look to capitalise on home advantage. In mixed doubles, Diya Chitale and Manush Shah will be aiming for a deep run as the fourth-seeded pair.

A record-breaking 19 Indian players have secured direct entries and wildcards for the main draw—the highest-ever for the country at this level. In all, 82 Indian paddlers (35 men and 47 women) will compete across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, setting a new benchmark for India’s participation in international table tennis.

The opening day was spent in qualifiers.