Diya wins bronze, can go beyond Hopes

 

 

New Delhi: Twelve-year-old Diya Chitale from Mumbai defeated Elizabet Abraamian of Russia to win the bronze medal in the ITTF World Hopes Week and Challenge held at Shanghai last week.

 

The eventual gold medal winner at the Challenge was Sara Elhakem from Egypt who beat Sophia Klee from Germany in the final.

 

Diya, a seventh standard student of Arya Vidya Mandir, Bandra, now stands a good chance of look-in by the ITTF when it picks four boys and four girls under its follow-up programme which culminates in 2015 World Cadet Challenge. In fact, Diya has the potential to walk into the squad that will represent Asia at the 2015 World Cadet Challenge.

 

 

The Mumbai girl, who trains under the legendary Kamlesh Mehta and Sachin Shetty at the Khar Gymkhana, was rewarded by Table Tennis Federation of India for her fine run on the international circuit since February 2015—she has collected an impressive 11 medals (five gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals).  

 

The World Hopes activity is limited to 16 girls and 16 boys, with Asia getting three places.