New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) India’s Under-13 table tennis player Divija Paul, a member of Adani Sportsline’s ‘Garv Hai’ initiative, won the bronze medal in the U13 girls’ category at the National Ranking Table Tennis Championship held in Panchkula from October 6 to 13.

The Assam-based paddler, currently ranked No. 1 in India in the Under-13 category, has continued her impressive run after winning gold in the U13 individual category at the WTT Youth Contender Puerto Princesa 2026 in the Philippines.

The latest medal also adds to her growing list of achievements in national and international competitions. Paul won U11 and U13 gold medals at WTT Youth Contender events in Vadodara in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

Panchkula holds special significance for the young player, who won her first national title in the U11 category at the venue in 2023. She began playing table tennis at the age of six after watching her cousin compete at a local club tournament.

A class VII student at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Silchar, Paul has also won the U13 title at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championship in Delhi in 2025 and the U13 doubles crown at the UTT National Table Tennis Championship in Gandhidham the same year.

The young paddler looks up to China’s Sun Yingsha and admires her playing style and confidence in executing strokes.

“Panchkula is where I won my first national title, so returning here and finishing on the podium feels really special. I wanted to go one step further, but I am proud of this bronze and I will learn from every match I played,” Paul said.

“Support from Adani Sportsline means much more to me than I can express. Some of my biggest challenges were good quality equipment, travelling for tournaments, and getting proper strength and conditioning. My parents and coaches have done everything they can for me, and now these challenges will be eased. My focus is on Chennai and Jalandhar next,” she added.

She is scheduled to compete at the WTT Youth Contender Championship in Chennai before taking part in the UTT National Ranking Championship in Jalandhar. The youngster aspires to win an Olympic gold medal for India in the future.

--IANS

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