Table Tennis
Explained: What are tokens in UTT Auction and how does it work?
Tokens are not the amount a player will earn at the 2025 Ultimate Table Tennis.
Players at 2025 UTT Auction (Photo credit: Joel D'Sza/The Bridge)
Born out of the need to give table tennis in India a glitzy and high-profile platform, Ultimate Table tennis has transformed the sport into a thrilling, franchise-based spectacle that blends world-class athleticism with non-stop entertainment.
The first ever player auction for the UTT was held in Mumbai ahead of the 2025 season on Tuesday. Until now the players were always picked via a player draft.
The auction brought with it intense bidding wars and strategic plays as teams scrambled to build their dream squads for the upcoming season – all within a limited pool of tokens.
What are tokens?
Despite the flurry of big numbers flying around the UTT auction room – 14.1 lakh for Diya Chitale, 14 lakh for Harmeet Desai – it’s important to know that this isn’t actual money changing hands.
In fact, the entire auction runs on a unique currency: tokens.
This isn't real money, but virtual bidding credits used to form their teams. Every player is assigned a base price, and once their name is called, the battle begins. The team that places the highest bid in tokens wins the player.
Now here’s the twist: regardless of how high the bidding goes, the player’s actual payment has already been decided before the auction. That financial agreement is set between the league and the player – months in advance.
So even if a player is sold for 14 lakh in tokens, their real salary might be very different. This is unlike what you see in a Pro Kabaddi League or Women's Premier League auctions.
Why Use Tokens at All?
The token system adds an exciting layer of strategy to the auction. First, it creates a level playing field. Every team walks in with the same token balance, forcing franchises to prioritize, plan, and pick wisely. Do you go all-in on one superstar or build a balanced squad?
Second, it protects players. Since their pay is already fixed, players aren’t left in limbo, waiting to see how the auction plays out. They know their worth – and their wage – well before the bidding begins.
With the auction dust settling and squads locked in, the stage is now set for a blockbuster season of Ultimate Table Tennis.
The action returns with a fresh mix of familiar fire and new rivalries as Dabang Delhi, Goa Challengers, Ahmedabad SG pipers, U Mumba TT, Chennai Lions and the newest entrants Kolkata Thunder Blades and PBG Pune Jaguars gear up to battle it out for ultimate glory.
The teams are stacked, the energy is electric, and the fans? They’re ready to chant every rally, live every point, and vibe to that one sound that gets hearts racing – the iconic UTT anthem: De Taka Tak!
