Dijus mixed bag finds him long-awaited success

V Diju pays his mixed doubles partner Jwala Gutta the ultimate compliment when he says shes so confident on the court she could win matches with any partner.

V Diju pays his mixed doubles partner Jwala Gutta the ultimate compliment when he says shes so confident on the court she could win matches with any partner. That daring dash rubs onto him when the duo are battling tricky opponents and trickier matches. Riding on that,and his clearly dominant smashing from the back-court,the Indians made their first foray into the top 20 in the world rankings on Thursday No 17 a week after they downed the world champions.

This is uncharted territory no Indian pair have made it this far in mixed doubles. But with two Grand Prix titles in the last one year and steady results in the Super Series,Diju and Jwala are evoking interest in mixed doubles,which the 28-year-old from Thrissur laughingly calls the tailpiece of badminton news reports.

Diju carried an unsettled look in the doubles,having famously been asked to split with Sanave Thomas at a camp some years ago and later attempting to combine with Jaseel Ismail,JBS Vidyadhar and Akshay Dewalkar with varied results. But yet another camp three years ago saw him pair up with Jwala for mixed doubles and the left-right combination worked merrily. There are only three-four left-right pairs in mixed doubles,and it works great because we manage to cover the whole court together, Diju says.

Keeping focus

Still struggling to zero in on a partner for doubles,Diju says hed be better off focusing on mixed doubles now. We have half a dozen wins in our career against top 10 pairs. From 1-20,the difference in the levels isnt much,frankly. Wed be beating No 1 one day,and might lose to No 20 the next. But we know whats needed to win now.

Conceding that Indians fall short by a considerable distance in strength and speed,Diju says that though that can be remedied,the larger problem is of sparring partners. When we return to practice in India,we play our own game,with lifts and the like. But the shuttle movement of Indonesians and Koreans is faster. It takes 3-4 games to adjust to their speed. It would be good if we could spar with them to get used to the pace, he says.

With mens doubles not quite working out,when he and Jwala travelled to Europe last year spending close to a lakh out of their pockets,he knew the season would be a make-or-break one. Every round counted and the prize money became important, he recalls,before the Bitburger and Bulgaria titles were won. Now Diju intends to check Chetan Anands availability to play doubles,though he knows that for Indias top-ranked player,singles is a priority.

He still stands agape,though,when Jwala,in one of her boisterous runs during a match,smashes one hard,as three people stand watching awestruck.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More