Diya Chitale is an Indian table tennis player who has won many medals in national and international tournaments. She has trained in India, Germany, and Japan, and is known for her aggressive playing style. She played for TTC Langstadt Club in the 4th Division German Table Tennis League. She is a beneficiary of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) run by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
Wiki/Biography
Diya Chitale was born on Wednesday, 2 April 2003 (age 19 years; as of 2022) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Her zodiac sign is Aries. Before playing table tennis, she was a state-level player in skating; however, she became interested in table tennis after watching her parents play the game and started playing table tennis with her friends at the age of 7. Some days later, she joined Khar Gymkhana and trained on alternate days; however, her coach recognised her natural talent, and after a month, she started training 5 days a week. She studied at Arya Vidya Mandir, Bandra, Mumbai until 10th class and completed her 11th and 12th from the National Institute of Open Schooling as she required more time to focus on table tennis. As of 2022, she is pursuing Bachelor in Business Administration via correspondence from a university in Punjab.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 4′ 9″
Weight (approx.): 45 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Her father’s name is Parag Chitale, and her mother’s name is Reshma Chitale. Her father worked at MNCs like Siemens, Citibank, and ICICI and set up an MBA entrance coaching institute CPLC India in December 2022, which was acquired by MT Educare in February 2011. Her mother is a housewife and accompanies Diya to her training sessions and tournaments.
Diya Chitale with her father, Parag Chitale, and mother, Reshma Chitale
Relationships/Affairs
She is single.
Career
She won her 1st Bronze Medal in her first District Ranking Tournament at the age of 8. She started training at Khar Gymkhana under coach Sachin Shetty and learnt the game’s technicalities under coach Sandeep Gupta. In 2015, she was selected by the Olympic Gold Quest foundation for their Junior Athlete Scholarship Program, and they are providing her scholarship since 1 November 2015. In 2015, she was also selected for the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) World Hopes Team. She won the Fair Play Award at the ITTF World Cadet Challenge held in Egypt in October 2015. At the age of 13, she started training in Germany under former India coach Peter Engel and goes to Germany annually to train under him. In 2016, she represented TTC Langstadt Club based in Frankfurt, Germany in the 4th division German Table Tennis League.
Diya Chitale (centre) with her coaches Peter Engel (left) and Sachin Shetty (right)
She became the under-15 National Champion after winning the Table Tennis National Championship in 2015. In 2017, she represented India at the World Cadet Challenge Tournament in Fiji. In 2017, she was the only Indian player selected in the ITTF Rough Diamonds training program for the under-15 category, which was held at the Slovenian National Table Tennis Training Center. In 2018, she won gold in the junior girls category in the Maharashtra State Championship. Since July 2018, she is supported by Khelo India initiative for the development of sports in India. In 2019, she went to Japan to train under coach Koichi Takeya. In 2019, she became the state champion of Maharashtra in both, junior and women categories. In January 2022, she won the gold for the first time in the individual event of the Senior Women category of the National Ranking Tournament. Since April 2022, she is also supported by Ajwani Infrastructure Private Limited. In May 2022, she won her first gold in the under-19 category of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Youth Contender Tournament held in Lima, Peru by defeating Colombia’s Juhana Lozada 3-0 in the final. She was selected for doubles and the team categories of the Commonwealth Games 2022 held in Birmingham, United Kingdom and lost in the quarterfinals of both categories.
Diya Chitale during the inaugural ceremony of Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham
Medals
Gold
- 2014: MSSA Interschool Tournament – Individual event of under-12
- 2014: MSSA Interschool Tournament – Team event of under-12
- 2014: Mumbai Suburban District Championship – Team event of under-12
- 2014: National Championship – Team event of under-12
- 2014: 1st District Ranking Tournament
- 2014: 2nd District Ranking Tournament
- 2014: 3rd District Ranking Tournament
- 2015: Bahrain Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 15
- 2015: Tunisia Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 15
- 2015: Tunisia Junior & Cadet Open – Doubles event of under 18
- 2015: Tunisia Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 18
- 2015: Mauritius Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 13
- 2016: 1st State Ranking Tournament – Individual event of under 15
- 2016: 1st State Ranking Tournament – Individual event of under 18
- 2016: 5th State Ranking Tournament – Individual event of under 15
- 2016: Table Tennis National Championships – Individual event of under 15
- 2016: Table Tennis National Championships – Doubles event of under 15
- 2016: 3rd National Ranking TT Tournament – Individual event of under 15
- 2016: Qatar Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 15
- 2016: Qatar Junior & Cadet Open – Doubles event of under 15
- 2016: Qatar Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 18
- 2016: Tunisia Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 13
- 2016: Tunisia Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 15
- 2016: Tunisia Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 15
- 2017: Cadet & Sub Junior National Championship – Team event of under 15
- 2017: Cadet & Sub Junior National Championship – Individual event of under 15
- 2017: Cadet & Sub Junior National Championship – Doubles event of under 15
- 2017: 1st National Ranking TT Tournament – Individual event of under 15
- 2017: Belgium Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 15
- 2017: ITTF World Cadet Challenge Tournament – Team event
- 2018: Maharashtra State Championships – Individual event of under 18
- 2018: Maharashtra State Championships – Team event of under 18
- 2018: Maharashtra State Championships – Team event of under 21
- 2018: Junior & Youth National Championships 2018 – Doubles event of under 18
- 2018: Junior & Youth National Championships 2018 – Team event of under 18
- 2018: Serbia Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 18
- 2019: Khelo India Youth Games – Doubles event of under 17
- 2019: Maharashtra State Championships – Individual event of women category
- 2019: Maharashtra State Championships – Individual event of under 18
- 2019: Maharashtra State Championships – Team event of under 15
- 2019: JVPG 3rd Maharashtra State Ranking Tournament – Individual event of under 18
- 2019: JVPG 3rd Maharashtra State Ranking Tournament – Individual event of under 21
- 2019: Junior & Youth National Championships – Individual event of under 18
- 2019: Junior & Youth National Championships – Individual event of under 21
- 2019: Junior & Youth National Championships – Team event of under 18
- 2019: Ghana Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 18
- 2019: Ghana Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 18
- 2019: Ghana Junior & Cadet Open – Doubles event of under 18
- 2020: Maharashtra State Championships – Individual event of under 21
- 2020: Junior and Youth National Championships – Individual event of under 21
- 2022: National Ranking Table Tennis Championships Central Zone – Individual event of women category
- 2022: WTT Youth Contender Lima – Individual event of under 19
Silver
- 2014: Mumbai Suburban District Team – Individual event of under-12
- 2014: National Championship – Individual event of under-12
- 2015: 1st State Ranking Tournament
- 2015: 2nd State Ranking Tournament
- 2015: 3rd State Ranking Tournament
- 2015: National Championship – Under 15
- 2015: Bahrain Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 15
- 2015: Tunisia Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 13
- 2015: Mauritius Junior & Cadet Open – Doubles event of under 15
- 2015: Mauritius Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 15
- 2016: Qatar Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 18
- 2016: Tunisia Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 18
- 2017: Belgium Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 15
- 2017: Slovenia Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 15
- 2017: ITTF World Cadet Challenge Tournament – Girls Doubles event
- 2018: Czech Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 15
- 2018: Jordan Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 15
- 2019: Khelo India Youth Games – Individual event of under 17
- 2019: Maharashtra State Championships – Team event of under 18
- 2019: JVPG 3rd Maharashtra State Ranking Tournament – Individual event of women category
- 2019: 3rd National Ranking TT Tournament – Individual event of under 18
- 2019: Junior & Youth National Championships – Doubles event of under 18
- 2021: National Ranking Table Tennis Championships 2021 Dehradun – Individual event of under 19
- 2021: WTT Youth Star Contender Tunisia – Doubles event of under 19
- 2022: Senior National Championships – Team event of women category
- 2022: WTT Youth Contender Slovenia – Doubles event of under 19
- 2022: 36th National Games – Team event of women category
Bronze
- 2014: 1st National Ranking Tournament – Under 12
- 2014: 2nd National Ranking Tournament – Under 12
- 2014: 3rd National Ranking Tournament – Under 12
- 2014: 4th National Ranking Tournament – Under 12
- 2015: 1st National Ranking Tournament – Under 15
- 2015: Bahrain Junior & Cadet Open – Doubles event of under 18
- 2015: Mauritius Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 15
- 2015: ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge
#OnThisDay | 7 years ago, on this day! A good end to the ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge 2015, Shanghai. Won the Bronze Medal and got selected into the World Hopes Team for the World Cadet Challenge!🥉 @WTTGlobal pic.twitter.com/jIv7YQ4f7b
— Diya Chitale (@DiyaChitaleTT) July 5, 2022
- 2015: India Junior & Cadet Open
- 2016: 5th State Ranking Tournament – Individual event of under 18
- 2016: 1st National Ranking TT Tournament – Individual event of under 15
- 2016: 2nd National Ranking TT Tournament – Individual event of under 15
- 2016: Spanish Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 15
- 2017: Jordan Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 15
- 2017: Jordan Junior & Cadet Open – Doubles event of under 15
- 2017: Croatia Junior & Cadet Open – Individual event of under 15
- 2017: Croatia Junior & Cadet Open – Team event of under 15
- 2018: Maharashtra State Championships – Individual event of under 21
- 2018: 1st National Ranking TT Tournament – Individual event of under 18
- 2018: 2nd National Ranking TT Tournament – Women category
- 2018: Junior & Youth National Championships 2018 – Individual event of under 18
- 2018: Senior National Championships 2018 – Team event of women category
- 2018: Jordan Junior & Cadet Open – Doubles event of under 15
- 2018: Serbia Junior & Cadet Open – Doubles event of under 18
- 2019: 4th National Ranking TT Tournament – Individual event of women category
- 2021: National Ranking Table Tennis Championships North Zone – Individual event of under 19
- 2021: National Ranking Table Tennis Championships South Zone – Individual event of women category
- 2021: National Ranking Table Tennis Championships – Individual event of women category
- 2021: WTT Youth Star Contender Tunisia – Individual event of under 19
- 2021: WTT Youth Contender Slovenia – Individual event of under 19
- 2021: WTT Youth Contender Croatia – Individual event of under 19
- 2022: Senior National Championships – Doubles event of women category
- 2022: WTT Youth Contender Slovenia – Individual event of under 19
- 2022: 36th National Games – Doubles event of women category
- 2022: 36th National Games – Individual event of women category
A good outing at the #36thNationalGames. Won the Silver Medal in the team event, Bronze in the Women’s Doubles and Singles event. Great match practice in the lead up to the World Championships! 🥈🥉🥉 pic.twitter.com/BtNRLruGMb
— Diya Chitale (@DiyaChitaleTT) September 24, 2022
Controversy
In 2022, she was selected as a reserve player in the Indian Table Tennis team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, United Kingdom. She filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court against this selection, which was later filed before the Delhi High Court, and on 5 July 2022, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) changed the team and selected her as the fourth player in the team. Addressing this controversy during an interview, she said,
When the team was announced first, I was really disappointed. There was a bit of doubt whether whatever I did was worth it. But then my entire support structure – my parents, my coaches led by Sachin sir – told me I had to keep pushing myself and focus on the game. If not this time, then definitely next time. I am glad it’s paid off this time.”
Awards
- Young Achiever Award from the International Association of Lion’s Club in 2017
- Junior Sportswoman of the year by the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM) Maharashtra in 2017
- Best TT Player of the 2017-18 season Award by the Mumbai Suburban District Table Tennis Association and Mumbai Suburban District Table Tennis Association in 2018
- Felicitated by Vivekananda Smarak Samiti Colaba, Mumbai in 2022
Facts/Trivia
- In 2016, she became the youngest Indian player to play in the German Table Tennis League.
- In 2019, she became the youngest female player to achieve a Double Crown (gold in under-18 and under-21) in Indian national table tennis.
- On 9 January 2022, she was ranked number 1 in the women’s singles ranking list released by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).
- As of December 2022, her fitness trainer is Yogesh Kanchgar, physical fitness coach is Dr. Chandan Poddar, form, fitness, and sports science coach is Dr. Nikhil Latey, mental conditioning coach is Dr. Mugdha Bavare, and diet and nutrition coach is Krushmi Chheda.
- Diya Chitale’s mentor is Indian table tennis legend Kamlesh Mehta.
- She was the highest bid player during the 11SPORTS’ Mumbai Super League (MSL) auction in April 2019 and was picked by Ping Panthers for Rs 38,000.
- During the COVID-19 lockdown, Vile Parle’s Prabodhankar Thackeray Krida Sankul club sent a table to her home for her practice.
- Her grandfather Sudhir Chitale was the principal of Bhawan’s College in Chowpatty, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- She scored 93% in her 10th-class examinations.
- She says ‘Cholaa’ whenever she wins any match and said that she learnt it on TV; however, she does not know its meaning.
- Her dream is to win gold in the Olympics.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education