Diya Chitale has scripted history a couple of times, most recently at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender held in Tunis over April 22-27, where she and Manush Shah became only the second Indian pair to win the mixed doubles title. In October last year, the table tennis player was part of the team that won a historic bronze for India at the Asian Championships held in Kazakhstan. She also happens to be the youngest Indian female to have won a double crown in the National Championship in the U-18 and U-21 categories. The budding paddler exemplifies resilience. Months after a stress fracture in her foot shattered her Paris Olympics dreams, she bounced back and clinched her maiden senior women’s singles title in January this year, overcoming a 0-2 deficit to beat Olympian Sreeja Akula in a nail-biting final. She partnered with Akula to secure the women’s doubles title at the same championship. In an interview with Hindustan Times, she spoke about the factors that fuel her fire, the need to bounce back after heartbreaks and how government support and the Ultimate Table Tennis have helped her grow as an athlete:

Congratulations on your mixed doubles title. You've been on a winning spree in 2025. Could you talk about the title win and your partnership with Manush?

Yeah, I think it was one of our biggest wins as a pair.

This was actually the first time that we reached the final of a WTT event (contender or star contender). We had earlier reached many, many semi finals. We had won a title in the feeder event before as well. But in a contender (match), we had never made it past the semis. So first of all, we were really thrilled to have reached the finals. Then of course, we had to play against a top Japanese pair in the finals. We had actually lost to them - 3-0 - last year. This time I think both of us were really well-prepared for the match. And I think throughout the partnership, our bonding was really very good.

So we just tried to play every point with full aggression, tried to focus on our game and what we needed to play. As the match went on, we started getting the feeling that we could actually win against them. We continued to play aggressively, trying to attack first, which is actually our strength as a pair.

We were really very, very glad that we could take the trophy home.

What's next on your radar?

Definitely the world championship that starts on May 17. We (Manush and I) will be playing mixed doubles there too. Then there is singles, women's doubles, mixed doubles, everything. So of course, that is one of our next targets - to at least make it to the quarterfinals in the World Championships. The world's top pairs will be playing there but I think we are in vert good shape. We won (the WTT Contender Title) in Tunisia, so we are looking forward to carrying the same form.

A more long-term goal, towards the end of the year, would be to break into the top 10 or even top eight. We are at the 11th place now. And I think the ultimate goal for both of us as a pair is definitely to win a medal at the Olympics for India.

You have shown exemplary determination and resilience by emerging quickly from missing your chance at the Paris Olympics. Could you talk a bit about this turnaround?

Yeah, of course. Being part of the Paris Olympics team was a target, but that did not happen. Of course, there was a lot of disappointment. I think it's more important to move forward rather than dwell on what didn't happen. So I tried to rebuild from there on.

I think the year so far has been really good for me. I won the National Championships at the beginning of the year. It was an important milestone for me and I was very happy to have made it. And of course, in the mixed doubles, we were playing really well for quite some time. Winning this title gives us a very big confidence boost and tells us that we are on the right path. After the Paris Olympics (didn't work out), I started working more on other things that I needed to do in training. I focused on playing my game rather than thinking about the results. When I'm on the table, I just try to play my game and have fun. I think that has really been working well for me, and I'm just going to carry that forward.

You were very young when you started playing professionally. Any advice for young girls looking to build a career in table tennis?

I would say that times really are changing in India. Earlier, no one would actually take up sports as a career or a profession. They would play till a certain age ad then focus on academics. That's changing now. People are taking up sports as a career. So my advice to young athletes would be - if your goal is set, put your all into it. If you really want to achieve it, just go all out, have fun, enjoy what you're doing. There will always be difficult times and difficult phases, but you must bounce back, work hard and just keep believing in yourself. Your hard work will pay off in the end.

Speaking of academics, you are still pursuing your BBA, right? Is it difficult juggling the two?

I finished my graduation last year.

And yeah, I think it is pretty difficult to manage sports and academics. Honestly, I was very, very lucky to have the support that I did when I was younger from my school Arya Vidya Mandir. That really helped throughout my time in school. For instance, if I was not available during an exam, they would let me retake it and offer me separate classes if I missed out on any classes.

With their support, I was really able to focus on training and playing tournaments even during my school years. Of course, Chitkara University also supported me with my career, and that played a huge role in my success. Since I had to travel a lot, they let me do most things online. I never really had to go to college. That was a huge help. Thanks to them, I dedicated all my attention to table tennis.

Speaking of support, how have government initiatives benefited you as a player? Can more be done?

The government has devised many helpful schemes that are helping players hugely. Take the Khelo India initiative—it really helped me in my initial years by allowing me to participate in more tournaments and get the best facilities. Also, now I'm under the TOPS development scheme, which is also a huge help for all. SAI is also helping us a lot. Government backing has enabled us to give our best on the table without having to worry too much about other stuff.

You received a letter of appreciation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. That must have been special. How did it feel?

Of course, when the Prime Minister sent such a letter, it was definitely a huge encouragement for all of us. Besides, he had meetings with all of us before we went for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. I think it's a great initiative from him that he frequently meets us. I think he's so invested in the sport and he really knows it in detail. When we see such government support, the fact that they are always there for us, it pushes us to do better for the country.

Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) begins in less than a month and you were the highest-valued Indian paddler at the auction. Does the price tag put pressure on you?

Honestly, I feel there is always pressure, whether you're the highest or the lowest (paid). There is always going to be a bit of pressure in any match you play. I think it's about how you take that pressure and how you deal with it that counts. I was really happy to have performed so well last year. About being the player with the highest bid, I was happy all the teams wanted me despite there being so many top players. But I think I'm just going to go with the same flow as last year and just try and help my team to make as many points as possible.

I love playing in team events, and the atmosphere and the platform that Ultimate Table Tennis has created is really great for all the young athletes and all the Indian players, I would say, because we get a chance to play with the top foreign players, to practice with them and spend time with them. So it's an amazing platform that they have created for us. The crowd is amazing. It's a great atmosphere. There's just one table. So I have a lot of fun playing in such tournaments. I'm really looking forward to it.

How has the UTT improved your game?

Firstly, I have closely followed UTT - whether it was watching from the stands or from home. I always wanted to be a part of it. When I finally got that chance, I realized what an amazing atmosphere it was to play in. Last year was an amazing season for me. I was able to help the team reach the finals, and we won silver. When you're able to do that for your team, it gives you a confidence boost. UTT also teaches you how to handle pressure. Plus, the crowd is great, the cheering is great, and the opportunity to play against and practice with foreign players has really helped me grow.

Read more news like this on HindustanTimes.com