Giant-killer Diya Chitale believes India’s table tennis moment will arrive — but it can’t be forced Premium

Diya Chitale, India's National table tennis champion, shares her journey from hobby to passion with family support.

Diya Chitale’s parents often went on vacations when she was a little girl. And almost always the place where they stayed had a table tennis table and her family and friends joined in the fun.

That’s how Diya got hooked to the ping-pong game. She soon started playing at the Khar Gymkhana club in Mumbai.

“I was around eight then and it began as a hobby. I think the turning point came in 2014 when I won the under-12 singles silver at the National Championships and that must have been the moment when I wanted to take the sport seriously,” said Diya in a chat with The Hindu during the recent National Games in Dehradun.

“That was when my hobby turned into a passion. And then, there was no looking back.”

Her parents, and almost all her close relatives, have a strong academic background. Her father is a maths professor and trains students for CAT and GRE.

“Nobody [in our family] is into any kind of sports professionally, I’m the only one, but I think that I’m into it because my family supported me the most, there was never a discussion on whether I should focus just on studies or take up my sport professionally,” said the 21-year-old. 

“It was always my decision and they always stood by me. No matter what decision I would make, they were always there for me.”