CHENNAI: DIYA Chitale’s run in this season’s Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) here may have ended in defeat after her narrow defeat to Sreeja Akula of the Jaipur Patriot in the deciding women’s single match. But her demeanour with the paddle stood out in her performance, like it did in all her games. With a height of 4 foot 11 inches, Chitale has put on performances of tall proportions. She has put on dominant shows, and has shown her mental fortitude in high pressure situations.
“I knew it was going to be a close match. I think Sreeja (Akula) is a really amazing player and we have played each other many, many times. So, both of us know each other's game really well. So, I knew it was going to be a tough match. When the tie is at 7-7, it can be anybody's match. This is where I think it's more of the mental battle. And hats off to her. She was really calm in the end. And maybe I was a bit impatient,” she told this daily after her semi-final defeat on Saturday (June 14)
She summarised the season with her franchise, Dabangg Delhi TTC. “I had an amazing season last year with Delhi(where they lost the final to Goa). This year, we were unbeaten in the first four matches. But there's always going to be one winner and someone who loses. I am really very happy with how we played throughout the tournament and how we went about it,” she said.
Chitale was retained by Delhi for 14.1 lakh tokens, the highest amount in the UTT auction in April this year. When quizzed on whether she felt any pressure, she responded, “It was a huge boost to my confidence that so many teams wanted me in their team and really believed in me. So, definitely it showed me that I'm doing the right things, I'm on the right path. But, I think with that, of course, comes some added pressure to perform for the team. It's how you deal with that pressure. So, before every match, I just try to tell myself that, okay, I'm here for the team and that I will just give my best and try to help the team and try to win as many points as possible as I can,” she said,
Check this video interview of Diya Chitale with the New Indian Express here
Sessions with sports psychologist Mugdha Bhavre has helped Diya to help deal with such situations. “I can really talk to her before every match and we try to prepare for every match with a new mindset. And of course, there is visualization, self-talk. I think this all is very, very important to believe in yourself when you're out there on the table and keep trying to push yourself,” she went on to add.
Diya explains herself as an “aggressive table tennis player.” That aggressiveness, she felt, is from watching Indian cricket great Virat Kohli. Wearing a jacket which read “Virat” did not seem coincidental. “No matter what the score is, he(Kohli) has this winning attitude. And this fighting spirit for every single time you are out there on the field. So, this is something that I really look up to. And of course, the discipline that he has. I think he has achieved so much. But he is still hungry for more. So, this is something that really inspires me,” she added.
As her UTT season ended, Chitale now shifts her focus onto the WTT contenders and the Smash events. She forecasted India’s chances of a medal in next year’s Asian Games. “So, I think we have a really good chance. I think India has been doing amazingly well in the recent past. And I think we are just getting better every day. Like also in the Mixed Doubles, me and my partner Manush, we are ranked world number 11. So, I really see a great chance in the Mixed Doubles event as well as the Women's Doubles event,” she signed off.
Diya has consistently displayed her mental strength and in a stage like UTT, her stocks will go on a one-way trip upwards. This season will be another test to her ever strong mental fortitude, and will set her well for next year’s Asian Games.
