New Delhi, 16 October (H.S.): Young Assam table tennis player Divija Paul has won the bronze medal in the Under-13 girls’ category at the National Ranking Table Tennis Championships, held in Panchkula from October 6 to 13. Divija, who is associated with Adani Sportsline’s ‘Garv Hai’ initiative, is currently ranked number one in India in the Under-13 category.

The achievement follows her gold-medal victory in the Under-13 singles category at the WTT Youth Contender Puerto Princesa 2026 in the Philippines. She had previously won gold medals in the Under-11 and Under-13 categories at WTT Youth Contender tournaments held in Vadodara in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

Panchkula holds special significance for Divija. In 2023, she won the national championship title in the Under-11 category in the same city. According to Divija, that victory inspired her to pursue a professional career in table tennis.

Born in Silchar, Assam, Divija began playing table tennis at the age of six. Her interest in the sport grew after she watched her cousin compete in a local club tournament. Her father, Dibyendu Paul, works for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), while her mother, Deepshikha Paul, is a teacher at a government school. Divija is currently a Class VII student at a Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) school in Silchar.

In 2025, Divija won the Under-13 title at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships held in Delhi. In the same year, she also claimed the Under-13 doubles title at the UTT National Table Tennis Championships in Gandhidham, Gujarat.

Having reached the top of India’s Under-13 rankings, Divija looks up to Chinese table tennis star Sun Yingsha as her role model. She is particularly inspired by Sun’s playing style and the confidence she displays in executing her shots.

In the coming months, Divija will compete in the WTT Youth Contender Championships in Chennai, followed by the UTT National Ranking Championships in Jalandhar.

Through its ‘Garv Hai’ initiative, Adani Sportsline will support Divija by providing access to world-class sporting equipment, travel assistance for national and international competitions, and strength and conditioning training.

The support aims to ease some of the major challenges faced by young athletes at the beginning of their careers and provide Divija with better resources to develop her game. Her ultimate ambition is to win an Olympic gold medal for India in the future.

Speaking about her achievement, Divija Paul said, “Panchkula is where I won my first national title. So, returning here and securing a place on the podium is very special to me. I wanted to go one step further, but I am happy with the bronze medal as well. I will try to learn from every match I played.”

Highlighting the importance of the support she is receiving from Adani Sportsline, she said, “It is difficult to put into words how much this support means to me. Some of the biggest challenges I faced were accessing good-quality equipment, travelling for tournaments, and receiving proper strength and conditioning training. My parents and coaches have done everything possible to support me, and this assistance will help ease those challenges. My focus is now on the upcoming competitions in Chennai and Jalandhar.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar