“It’s not like the IPL where we are always in one team” - Diya Chitale on the almost complete overhaul of teams every season at UTT
Diya Chitale is one of India’s most promising paddlers. After a stellar junior career, the now 21-year-old smoothly transitioned to the senior circuit. She won numerous national and international tournaments and even represented India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Chitale’s rise in performance saw her get picked by U Mumba TT for her debut season at Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), and then she was brought in by the Dabang Delhi TTC for the 2024 season. At UTT 2024, Chitale delivered incredible performances and was one of the best Indian paddlers in action. One of her most notable victories was stunning India’s star paddler, Manika Batra, with a 3-0 triumph during a league match.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Chitale reflected on her experiences at UTT and opened up about her transition from U Mumba TT to Dabang Delhi TTC.
She spoke about her personal coach Sachin Shetty, who was also her new team’s coach, and how having a familiar person around added an extra layer of comfort and helped ease the transition to a new team.
"I mean, yeah, it's not like IPL, you know where we are always in one team. I'm just happy that now I have my coach, who's my personal coach, Sachin Shetty, also there with me. And I think Sathiyan Bhaiya is an amazing captain; the way he pushes everyone in the team... it does not matter what the score is or how we play, but he's always there to encourage us and support us. And yeah, I think he is an amazing captain and also a lovely person off the court," she shared.
Chitale has been following the UTT since its inception, and she shared her excitement about being part of the action since Season 4.
“Yeah, I think also before my first season, like ever since UTT started, I had been like always following all the action, like sometimes I was here in the stands watching the matches. And yeah, I think last year was very exciting for me to play, and I think this year was a completely different experience for me. I think I'm really happy that I'm able to contribute to the team,” she said.
“The support from the entire team, I think we have bonded really very well. Also, the coaches, the support staff...the management, everyone is very, very supportive, and yeah, it's been amazing so far,” Chitale added.
"I think this season what I tried was just to have fun and enjoy and play my best” – Diya Chitale on her approach to the UTT 2024 season
When asked about her approach this season, Chitale claimed she focuses on enjoying the experience rather than getting weighed down by scores.
"I think this season what I tried was just to have fun and enjoy and play my best and, you know, not really think about what the score is when I go to play," she said.
She also expressed what it was like to play in UTT's unique atmosphere.
"UTT is an amazing platform, and it's a completely different experience where we are playing, you know, teams together. Normally, we don't have men's and women's playing together, so it's really amazing. And I really like this crowd when everyone is like really cheering. I'm a very aggressive player, and I like the noise and cheering, so yeah, it's been an amazing time," she concluded.