Paddlers claim mistreatment, while KTTA refutes the allegations.

The integrity of the Kerala Table Tennis Association (KTTA) is under scrutiny following a protest from 41 players, including several state champions, who have raised serious concerns about the management of the recent PAX Academy State-ranking tournament. This event took place at Izyan Sports City in Kollam, where players expressed their dissatisfaction over last-minute alterations to the tournament fixtures that diverged from the original draw published on the KTTA's official digital platform, Zeetius.

Many participants, particularly top-ranked players and their clubmates, found themselves pitted against each other in the initial rounds due to these unexpected changes. The players most affected were those who had previously competed in tournaments organized by the Table Tennis Association of Kerala (TTAK) until January. The KTTA had recently resumed its governance after a Supreme Court Arbitration restored its affiliation in October 2025, but the players' grievances suggest a troubling pattern of mismanagement.

In addition to the fixture changes, the protesting players raised issues regarding the use of tables that had not been approved by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). They demanded greater transparency in the distribution of prize money and alleged that KTTA loyalists were given preferential treatment in the draw process. The players also noted that similar complaints regarding fixture changes during the previous ranking tournament in Ernakulam had gone unaddressed.

In response, the KTTA refuted claims of tampering with the final draw published on August 8, asserting that the earlier draw on the Zeetius website was unauthorized. The association defended its decision to use unapproved tables, citing a high number of entries and claiming that no regulations prohibited their use. Furthermore, the KTTA stated that it allocated 43% of the entry fees as total prize money, countering allegations of a promised 40% payout per event. They attributed the confusion over draws to clubs failing to register their players properly with the KTTA.

Despite the KTTA's explanations, the discontent among the players remains palpable. They are now considering escalating their concerns to higher authorities, including the Sports Minister, the Kerala State Sports Council, and the TTFI, in hopes of addressing the issues they have faced during the tournament.