NEW DELHI: It was 2023. Nearly two years had passed since India achieved its best-ever tally of seven medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. With new records being set and the nation’s standards in Olympic sports raised, Tokyo 2020 ignited a never-seen-before spark among aspiring athletes across various disciplines, all eager to make their mark at the national level and perhaps secure a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
However, not everyone got the chance to live that dream. For budding paddler Diya Chitale, the dream of competing in Paris was shattered by an unforeseen foot injury.
“That was the year they were selecting players for the 2024 Olympic Games. The team was going to be finalised. But in October 2023, I suffered a stress fracture in my left foot. As a result, I couldn’t compete in two national tournaments or the national championships. I was not fully fit,” Diya tells TimesofIndia.com.
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Fast forward to January 2025, and Diya Chitale has now become a more mature version of herself. That maturity shone through in the final of the Senior National Table Tennis Championships, where she faced one of India’s best and now an Olympian, Sreeja Akula.
Overcoming a 0-2 deficit, Diya staged a remarkable comeback to make it 4-3, clinching her maiden senior national title at the age of 21.
“Becoming the Senior National Champion was one of my dreams. I had won at the U-15, U-18, and U-21 levels, but never in the senior women’s category. It was something I really wanted to achieve,” says the paddler, who is currently recovering from a shoulder injury.
Table Tennis: No Longer Just a ‘Hobby’
Unlike many athletes who begin their journey with structured coaching from an early age, Diya’s introduction to table tennis was unplanned. “It was just a hobby,” she admits. “I was very active as a child, and during family vacations, we would always play table tennis. I started practising at Khar Gymkhana, but the turning point came in 2014 when I won silver at the U-12 National Championships. That’s when my hobby turned into my passion.”
Preparation was key for the starlet. Along with her coach, Sachin Shetty, she spent months strategising and tailoring her training to counter India’s top-ranked players.
“We were really well-prepared, both in terms of gameplay and mental strength,” she recalls. “At a tournament like the Nationals, everyone wants to win, but being mentally strong is just as important as physical skill.”
Born into a family of doctors and teachers, Diya never felt the pressure of academics, thanks to her supportive parents, Reshma and Parag Chitale. “They have truly been my pillars of strength,” she shares. “We never had discussions about whether I should pursue sports professionally or focus entirely on academics. Whatever decision I made, they always supported me. When I went abroad for long-term training, my mom even travelled with me.”
Diya’s school, Arya Vidya Mandir, also played a crucial role in her journey, providing her with the flexibility to balance her academics with table tennis. “I was lucky to receive that support from my family and everyone around me,” she continues.
‘The Shift in the Indian Mindset’
The rise of table tennis in India echoes a shift in societal attitudes, according to Diya. She believes the traditional emphasis on academics over sports is gradually changing.
“Earlier, the focus in India was primarily on studies and academics. But I think that is really changing now. In the past few years, many people have taken up sports professionally and made it a career. I also think people are now watching a wider variety of sports beyond cricket, and other disciplines are getting much more recognition. Look at what (PV) Sindhu and Saina (Nehwal) did for badminton. I believe the same is happening in table tennis, with many Indian players making their way into the top world rankings,” says the Mumbai-born athlete, who recently completed her BBA from Chitkara University.
A Dream of an Olympic Medal
A typical training day for Diya is anything but ordinary. “I practice twice a day — once in the morning and once in the evening — with each session lasting around two and a half hours, plus two hours of fitness training,” says Diya, a thriller TV series buff who now barely has time to indulge in them.
Her routine also includes mental wellness exercises and working with a sports psychologist to maintain her focus.
Her aggressive playing style, powered by the paddle surface of plain rubber, sets her apart.
“I’m an attacking player from both my forehand and backhand. There are many, many players in India who play with different kinds of materials. I prefer a plain rubber paddle — no other material — because it suits my aggressive approach,” Diya tells TimesofIndia.com.
While mirroring a glimpse of her ambition, she concludes, “My immediate goal is to break into the top 50 in the world rankings. In mixed doubles, my partner Manush and I are already in the top 15, and we want to break into the top 10 and compete for a medal at major international events. But of course, the ultimate dream is always to win a medal for India at the Olympics.”
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