Pune, Jul 16 (IANS): Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju heaped praise on the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), saying the league has brought a new sporting culture to India.

"The Ultimate Table Tennis has brought a new sporting culture to India. It's not only for table tennis but a general interest for everyone and also showed the way that such sporting events can be organised in a very professional manner. UTT has been one of the leading tournaments in India which has been arranged and organized in a very professional way," said Rijiju on Sunday.

He further added, "The entire presentation is very attractive and you need some platforms for younger payers to play. So, IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis has done a wonderful thing to galvanise table tennis in India and also inspired other sports.

"I have personally seen the growth of the league in the past few years, so, I am excited to be here in Pune to witness the table tennis action here with the wonderful participation from the franchises and the audience," he said.

The ongoing season has been witnessing the participation of top Indian paddlers including Achanta Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran among others along with international stars such as Quadri Aruna, Lily Zhang, and Omar Assar.

The six franchises fighting for the coveted title are U Mumba TT, Chennai Lions, Bengaluru Smashers, Dabang Delhi TTC, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis and Goa Challengers.