A week after losing her coach, grieving Diya Chitale has a moment to savor at the Asian Games

Manush Shah and Diya Chitale (File Photo) NEW DELHI: The past seven days have been an emotional rollercoaster for Diya Chitale. Exactly a week after losing Peter Engel, her coach since 2015, Diya stood on the podium of the Asian Games in Nagoya with a bronze medal around her neck alongside Manush Shah. The duo had their moments against China’s top pair of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha before losing (0-4) 8-11, 5-11, 8-11, 2-11 in the mixed doubles semi-finals at Sky Hall Toyota in Nagoya to settle for bronze. Despite the loss, Diya and Shah secured India’s first medal in table tennis at the ongoing games.For Diya, Engel, who died on September 18 at the age of 72, was much more than a coach. “I have worked with Engel sir since 2015 and he is the person who has completely developed my game. He has been my point of contact for everything in TT,” she told TOI from Nagoya. In addition to personal tragedy, Diya and Shah also had to overcome slim magic here. The world No. 8 mixed doubles pair have won two titles and finished second once in early 2026, but their results have been in decline since June. “I’ve always believed that we’re a top couple and that we can beat any couple on our day,” she said. Their faith was tested earlier on Friday.Drawn against Hong Kong’s world No. 4 Doo Hoi Kem and Wong Chun Ting, a pair they have lost to three times, the Indians knew the execution had to be precise. They did, winning 3-1 (11-6, 13-15, 11-9, 11-5) to secure the nation their first TT medal of the Games, before losing in the semi-finals. “We played them three times and lost all the games, but the last two games were pretty close,” Diya said. “That’s why we knew that if we had a clear strategy and could execute it well, we had a good chance. And we did that today.”A medal carries weight far beyond its color. It is the second mixed doubles medal for India after Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra’s bronze in Jakarta in 2018. “To win a medal at the Games in our sport is huge and extra sweet because all the powerhouses in TT are from Asia – China, Japan, South Korea and so on,” she said. Diya dedicated her medal to Engel and paid her a personal tribute. “It would be amazing for him to see what I achieved today. This medal is for him.”