UTT will help me prepare for season ahead: Monteiro

Joao Monteiro comes from a nation that gave soccer stars like Eusebio, Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, but believes that table tennis is popular in Portugal in its own way.

The 33-year-old left-hander said people back home enjoyed the team's triumph in the European Championship in 2014, which showed table tennis too was enjoyed support in the country and hoped that they can do even better in the coming years.

Having won three gold medals at the continental championship, albeit in different events, Monteiro is keen to use the inaugural Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) to prepare for the coming season and the European Championship in September.

He will turn out for Maharashtra United in the tournament.

"I hope UTT will help me improve more as a player and also be ready for the forthcoming season and the European championship. The aim is to win my fourth gold medal," he told

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)