Indian paddler Diya Chitale and her mixed-doubles partner Manush Shah at the WTT Finals in Hong Kong as they lost all three of their group-stage matches
Diya Chitale (right) and Manush Shah during the WTT Finals in Hong Kong recently. Pic/Special Arrangement
Purely in terms of results, things did not go according to plan for paddler Diya Chitale and her mixed-doubles partner Manush Shah at the WTT Finals in Hong Kong — they lost all three of their group-stage matches. However, Diya insists the tournament provided important takeaways to elevate their game to the next level as they begin their preparation for a medal hunt at the 2026 Asian Games (in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from Sep 19-Oct 4).
“It was a great learning experience for us to play against the top-ranked teams [only the top-eight ranked pairs qualified for the event]. The level of table tennis was very high and the crowd was crazy. So, it was a great exposure for us too,” Santacruz-based Chitale, who became the first Indian alongside Manush to feature in the precious season-ending event, told mid-day from Hong Kong.
The draw was rather unkind to the ninth-ranked Indian duo. They were in Group 1 alongside the Chinese World No. 1 pairing of Lin Shidong-Kuai Man, the 2024 Paris Olympics gold-winning Chinese duo of Wang Chuqin-Sun Yingsha (ranked No. 3), and Hong Kong’s No. 5 pair of Wong Chun Ting-Doo Hoi Kem.
Tough group to start with
Despite the strong competition and a tough start — they lost their opening game 3-0 to Chuqin-Yingsha — Chitale and Shah gave a good account of themselves, especially in the second fixture against Ting-Kem, where they rallied to draw level after losing the first two sets, but then succumbed in the decider. They also went on to win one set against Shidong-Man in their last match.
Reflecting on her learnings from the tournament, Chitale, 22, identified a few areas of improvement for the Indian duo.
“To get to the next level, we need to improve our skills, particularly in our defensive game. When you’re playing against top players, you don’t get many chances to attack, so you have to rely on your defence. The tables we played on here were on the slower side. We are generally better on quicker ones; it suits our playing style. So adapting to slower tables is also something we’ll have to work on,” explained Chitale, who trains at Khar Gymkhana.
Next major target
The next big target on their agenda is the Asian Games, where Diya and Manush intend to compete for a medal. “We have achieved what we set out to do this year [reach the WTT Finals]. For next year, the Asian Games is our main goal. We are definitely going to push for a medal. Winning a medal for India at the highest level will be an honour,” Chitale signed off.
Chitale-Shah’s 2025 WTT season
WINS: 1
(WTT Contender Tunis)
Runner-up: 1
(WTT Star Contender Brazil)
SEMI-FINALS: 2
(WTT Star Contender Chennai, WTT Star Contender Muscat)
QUARTER-FINALS: 6
(WTT Star Contender Doha, WTT Contender Muscat, Singapore Smash, US Smash, WTT Contender Buenos Aires, Europe Smash)
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