Sanil Shetty Leads Phantom Stars to Back-to-Back Butterfly TTSL Maharashtra Title

Shetty powered past National Games 2025 winner Jash Modi in the pair's men's singles match-up 3-0, before later partnering Shruti Amrute for another crucial win in the mixed doubles, according to a release.

Key victories elsewhere saw the Phantom Stars-owned by Everstone Group vice president Rajesh Jaggi and ReRooted founder and a former TT player herself, Antara Jaggi-over the line with a match to spare.

Now in its second season, TTSL is an initiative by 11 Sports Private Ltd-organisers of India's premier TT competition, the Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT)-to strengthen grassroots talent development and elevate state-level competition nationwide. Butterfly TTSL Maharashtra 2026 saw eight teams battle for the title with a total prize pool of Rs 7.25 lakh, including Rs 3,50,000 for the champions.

Earlier in the day, the would-be champions Phantom Stars edged Mumbai Mozartt 14-11 in a thrilling semi-final, with veteran Onkar Jog sealing the victory in the ninth match-up of the tie. Elsewhere, Bayside Spinners booked their maiden final spot with a thumping 14-8 win over Century Warriors, courtesy of crucial 3-0 match wins from Senhora D'souza and Parth Magar in senior women's and junior boys' categories, respectively.

D'souza then gave the Spinners the perfect start in the final, defeating Amrute to put her side 2-1 up in the first match, before Shetty hit back for the Phantom Stars with a 3-0 blank. Jog, partnering with Ayaan Athar in a veteran men's and under-13 boys doubles fixture, served up another washout for the reigning champions in match 4, putting them in the driving seat.

Twin 2-1 wins from Annisha Patra and Shetty-Amrute steered the Phantom Stars on the cusp of victory, which Patra, pairing up with Kaustubh Girgaonkar, drove home in the penultimate match-up of the tie.

For their displays across the tournament, Shetty claimed the Best Men's Player (Overall) award, while Butterfly UTT-bound Divyanshi Bhowmick was named the Best Women's Player (Overall). Century Warriors dominated the other individual honours, with Raghav Mahajan (U-13 Boys), Naisha Rewaskar (U-17 Girls), and veteran Santosh Wakradkar topping their respective categories.

Finalists Bayside Spinners TTC also made a strong mark, as Parth Magar (U-17 Boys) and Senhora D'souza (Women's Senior) emerged as standout performers. Rounding off the awards, Raegan Albuquerque of Jolly Friends Sports Club claimed the Men's Senior honours after an impressive showing.

Player Awards

Best Player, U-13 Boys: Raghav Mahajan (Century Warriors) Best Player, U-17 Girls: Naisha Rewaskar (Century Warriors) Best Player, U-17 Boys: Parth Magar (Bayside Spinners TTC) Best Player, Veterans: Santosh Wakradkar (Century Warriors) Best Player, Women's Senior: Senhora D'souza (Bayside Spinners TTC) Best Player, Men's Senior: Raegan Albuquerque (Jolly Friends Sports Club) Best Men's Player (Ovr): Sanil Shetty (Phantom Stars) Best Women's Player (Ovr): Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mumbai Mozartt).

- ANI