Diya Chitale had barely begun processing one of the most contentious moments of Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 when the attention shifted from the umpire’s decision to her.
The PBG Pune Jaguars paddler found herself at the centre of an ugly controversy after a disputed obstruction call during her match against Dabang Delhi TTC’s Sutirtha Mukherjee in the final league fixture at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Friday night.
While the officials awarded Chitale the crucial golden point, the 23-year-old insists she neither appealed for it nor celebrated it. Instead, she says she stood waiting for clarity before being subjected to personal abuse from sections of the Delhi camp and the stands, with some branding her a “cheater” and questioning her sporting spirit.
In an interview with Sportstar, Chitale reflects on the controversial incident, the backlash that followed and why, despite believing the reaction was unwarranted, she has chosen to move on.
Q: Can you tell us what exactly happened at the golden point against Sutirtha in PBG Pune Jaguars’s last league match against Dabang Delhi TTC?
A: It was the last match of the tie and Delhi had already qualified. We had no chance, so it was kind of a dead rubber. It was the second game and at 10-all I went to serve and before the ball even left my hand— there’s a video of it — she called for “TTR”.
I missed the serve and the umpire just gave the point to me. There was a lot of confusion as to what happened out there. The rule book normally says that it is obstruction and that’s why the umpire gave me the point.
I was still standing there, I didn’t even go to the dugout immediately. I was still standing there waiting to see what happened. But then, there was unbelievable background noise from their dugout and even from the stands and all. Some people from the stands were saying I don’t have “sportsman spirit”. Some people from the stand, I was told it was some Delhi representatives, calling me a” cheater”.
For what exactly should I be called names? I didn’t do anything. The umpire gave me the point.
Q: Did you appeal for obstruction or did the umpire award the point?
A: I did not appeal for anything. I was just standing there, the umpire just gave the point to me.
Q: Did anyone from the Delhi camp ask you whether you were okay with replaying the point?
A: Nobody asked me anything. There was no communication to play the point or anything else. They just started arguing and I was even ready to play the point but after everything that happened, that’s not acceptable, right?
Q: What was your reaction when a Delhi management representative from the gallery referred to you as a cheater?
A: Of course, it was very disturbing. I didn’t ask for the point. The umpire gave it to me and the rule is what the rule is. I was ready to play, but if this happens from the opposite camp, I don’t think anybody would be in the right frame of mind after that.
Q: Have you and Sutirtha sorted it out?
A; Of course. I have nothing against Sutirtha. She also knows this. We spoke a lot after the match; there is nothing between us. I had nothing against her, neither does she hold anything against me.
Q: The fact that such an outburst came from a team that you were a part of before, does that impact how you felt about it all?
A: Of course, it hurts when someone is doing it but maybe it happened in the heat of the moment. I don’t think this was acceptable. Especially in a match where it didn’t count for anything (for them). But when those who know me do it, of course it hurts. Whatever happened, I don’t think that was necessary. The last two seasons I was a part of Dabang Delhi. Even if I wasn’t, this is not the kind of behaviour I would expect from professionals.
Q: Has the incident filtered into any of the conversations or chatter off the table since Friday night?
A: What’s done is done, I am not going to really think about that and hold on to it for anything.
Q: Does it mean the matter has been put to rest from your perspective?
A: I don’t know what else can be done. Even if I don’t want to hold on to this against someone, I believe that whatever has happened was not right, but I am over it.
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Published on Jul 25, 2026