New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) As a world number eight pair, Diya Chitale and Manush Shah did have a shot at a coveted Asian Games medal but their recent slump in form did not inspire a lot of confidence heading into the continental event.
What added to that massive challenge was the untimely death of Diya’s personal coach Peter Engel in Germany soon after she arrived in Nagoya for the Asian Games..
Engel, also a former India coach, took Diya under her wings in 2015 and took her game to the next level while coaching her in Germany.
Engel worked smoothly alongside Diya’s coach in Mumbai, Sachin Shetty, engineering the rise of an attacking player with plain rubber on both sides, a rarity in a pimple dominated ecosystem in women’s table tennis in India.
Diya’s father Parag Chitale says a famous medal assured by the Indian mixed double duo is a fitting tribute to Engel, who was a very likable personality in the table tennis world.
“We could not tell her about Peter’s death, it happened 10 days ago. She only found out from the team after reaching Japan. She was very close to him. I am very proud that she and Manush got this medal assured, considering the loss of Peter and their recent form,” said Parag, a teacher by profession.
While Manush and Diya bagged two WTT titles in the first half of year, their form dipped drastically June onwards, visible in their early exits in Sweden Smash and United States Smash.
With the presence of China, Japan and South Korea, winning an Asian Games medal is as tough as it gets but India’s hopes too have risen with an odd medal to two in the last two editions.
The biggest medal hope in Japan was the world number three men’s doubles pairing of Manush and Manav Thakkar but a tough draw meant they could only go as far as round two.
Manush and Diya had to punch above their weight to open India’s tally in medal tennis and they did by upsetting the fourth ranked duo from Hong Kong.
Being a left-hand right-hand pairing aids Manush and Diya. The left-handed Manush thrives on his power game from both flanks and Diya’s main job is to facilitate winners for her partner.
Their rise in mixed doubles has coincided with Manush’s rapid progress in the singles charts, he is now the highest ranked Indian male player at 43.
After the high of Asian Games, the OGW supported Manush and Diya would be aiming for a historic Olympic medal in 2020 Los Angeles Games .
While it is common for players to change partners on the WTT tour due to scheduling issues, Manush and Diya have only played with each other since becoming a team in October 2023.
Manush’s first love was cricket, family holidays introduced Diya to TT
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Back home in Baroda, Manush got into sports through cricket but an internal injury at the age of nine made him switch to the racket sport. With his father Utpal Shah himself into table tennis, his initiation into that was pretty straightforward.
“He did play cricket initially but after the internal injury, he got into table tennis seeing me play. As parents, we are massively proud that Manush and Diya have won a medal for the country,” said Utpal Shah.
Manush has been training in Czech Republic for the last few years and that move has surely paid off.
Diya on the other hand continues to be coached by Sachin Shetty, brother of multiple time CWG medallist Sanil Shetty. Of late, she has also been working with a South Korean expert.
“Diya has come a long way since taking up the sport on our family holidays,” recalled Parag.
With a confirmed medal on Friday, Manush and Diya have only fuelled India’s desire of a pathbreaking Olympic podium finish in two years’ time. PTI BS KHS BS KHS
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