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.