Valiyaveetil Diju

Last updated

Valiyaveetil Diju
V Diju.jpg
5 October 2008
Personal information
Nickname(s)V. Diju
CountryIndia
Born (1981-01-04) 4 January 1981 (age 42)
Ramanattukara, Kozhikode, Kerala, India
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
HandednessRight
Men's & mixed doubles
Highest ranking6 (in XD)
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing Flag of India.svg  India
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2010 New Delhi Mixed team
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2006 Melbourne Mixed team
South Asian Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2006 Colombo Mixed doubles
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2006 Colombo Men's team
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 Dhaka Men's team
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 Dhaka Mixed doubles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2010 Dhaka Men's doubles
BWF profile

Valiyaveetil Diju (born 4 January 1981), also known as V. Diju, is an Indian badminton player from Kozhikode, Kerala. [1] He clinched six National Championships title, once in the men's doubles and five times in the mixed doubles. He represented India in the 2012 London Olympics, became the first Indian player to participate at the Olympics in the mixed doubles alongside Jwala Gutta. He is the winner of Arjuna Award 2014, given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, government of India to recognize his outstanding achievement in National sports. He is also the winner of G. V. Raja awards, which is the highest government-level recognition for sports persons in Kerala. He is winner of Jimmy George award 2014. He is also winner of Vivekanandha sports excellence award 2014. He won the Youth excellence award also in 2014.He is the only mixed doubles player from India to reach top 10 in the world badminton ranking(BWF) .His highest ranking is number 6th in world ranking.

Contents

Career

Diju started his International career by representing India for Asian junior badminton championship held at Hong Kong in 1997. In 2002, he and Sanave Thomas won the men's doubles title at the Indian National Championships by defeating Jaseel P. Ismail and Jaison Xavier in four games. [2] He won the 2008 Bitburger Open in Germany along with Jwala Gutta. It was India's first mixed-doubles Grand Prix win. Diju is a five-time National mixed-doubles champion. In 2006, he won the mixed team bronze medal in Commonwealth Games at Melbourne. Diju-Gutta pair was runner-up at Indian Open held at Hyderabad in 2009. They lost to Indonesian Flandy Limpele and Vita Marissa in the final. [3]

2009 World Badminton Championship

In August 2009, the Diju-Gutta mixed doubles pair became the first Indians to enter the quarterfinals of World Championship. The Championships was held at Hyderabad, India. The duo, seeded 8th, got a bye in the first round followed by a walkover in the second. In the third round they defeated 12th seed polish pair of Robert Mateusiak and Nadieżda Kostiuczyk 21–11, 22–20 in a 31-minute clash. [4] In the quarter-final they went down to defending champions and second seeds Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir of Indonesia. The Indian pair was beaten 16–21, 14–21 in 27 minutes. [5]

Chinese Taipei Grand Prix

On 30 August 2009, Diju partnering Jwala Gutta became the first Indian badminton mixed doubles pair to win a Grand Prix Gold title. They defeated Indonesia's Hendra Aprida Gunawan and Vita Marissa 24–22, 21–18 in the Chinese Taipei Open final. [6] In the quarter-final, the world No. 7 pair and third seed in the tournament, defeated South Korean pair Shin Baek-cheol and Yoo Hyun-Young and in the semi-final Diju and Gutta prevailed over Malaysians Goh Liu Ying and Chan Peng Soon 21–11, 17–21, 24–22. [7]

Diju with Jwala Gutta Dijujwala.jpg
Diju with Jwala Gutta
2009 World Super Series Masters

In December 2009, Diju and his doubles partner Gutta reached the World Superseries Masters final in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. They beat Robert Mateusiak and Nadieżda Kostiuczyk of Poland in straight-games 21–19, 21–11. [8] In the final the Indian pair went down to World Championship bronze medalists Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen 14–21, 18–21. [9]

2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games

In 2010, Diju won the silver medal in Commonwealth Games in the mixed team event. He participated at the Asian Games in Guangzhou. Diju and Gutta pair reached the quarter-finals of the World Championships for the second consecutive year beaten by Koreans Ko Sung-hyun and Ha Jung-eun 21–16, 21–19 having beaten the English pair of Chris Adcock and Gabrielle White and Malaysians Goh Liu Ying and Chan Peng Soon in straight games and overcoming Chayut Triyachart and Yao Lei from Singapore in the pre-quarters in three games. The pair also won the 2010 India Open Grand Prix Gold for their second Grand Prix Gold title beating Triyachart and Lei in three games.

2011 Ranchi National Games winner

In 2011, Diju and Gutta reached the quarter-finals or better at three tournaments including two Super Series Premieres events at Denmark Open and China Masters where they reached the semi-finals, their first since 2009. They beat second seeded Chinese pair of Tao Jiaming and Tian Qing in the first round 5–21, 21–14, 21–18.

2012 London Olympics

Diju started his Olympic campaign pairing Jwala Gutta in mixed doubles. However they lost their opening match 16–21, 12–21 in just 25 minutes at the Wembley Arena in London.

G.V Raja Award

Government of Kerala announced him as the recipient of G.V. Raja awards for 2012–13. [10]

Achievements

South Asian Games

Men's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2010 Wooden-Floor Gymnasium,
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Flag of India.svg Chetan Anand Flag of India.svg Rupesh Kumar K. T.
Flag of India.svg Sanave Thomas
19–21, retired Med 2.png Silver
Mixed doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2006 Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium,
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of India.svg Thomas Kurien
Flag of India.svg Aparna Balan
21–11, 21–13 Med 1.png Gold
2010 Wooden-Floor Gymnasium,
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Flag of India.svg Ashwini Ponnappa Flag of India.svg Sanave Thomas
Flag of India.svg Aparna Balan
21–11, 21–15 Med 1.png Gold

BWF Superseries Finals

Mixed doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2009 Superseries Finals Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of Denmark.svg Joachim Fischer Nielsen
Flag of Denmark.svg Christinna Pedersen
14–21, 18–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up

BWF Grand Prix

The BWF Grand Prix has two levels, the BWF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It is a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) since 2007. The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) since 1983.

Mixed doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2008 Bitburger Open Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of Denmark.svg Joachim Fischer Nielsen
Flag of Denmark.svg Christinna Pedersen
8–21, 21–17, 22–20Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2008 Bulgarian Open Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of Indonesia.svg Fran Kurniawan
Flag of Indonesia.svg Shendy Puspa Irawati
15–21, 21–18, 21–19Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2009 India Open Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of Indonesia.svg Flandy Limpele
Flag of Indonesia.svg Vita Marissa
14–21, 17–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2009 Chinese Taipei Open Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of Indonesia.svg Hendra Aprida Gunawan
Flag of Indonesia.svg Vita Marissa
23–21, 21–18Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2010 India Open Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of Singapore.svg Chayut Triyachart
Flag of Singapore.svg Yao Lei
23–21, 20–22, 21–7Gold medal icon.svgWinner
  BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
  BWF & IBF Grand Prix tournament

IBF International

Men's doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2000 Hungarian International Flag of India.svg Sanave Thomas Flag of Spain.svg José Antonio Crespo
Flag of Spain.svg Sergio Llopis
17–14, 15–7Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2004India Satellite Flag of India.svg Jaseel P. Ismail Flag of India.svg Rupesh Kumar K. T.
Flag of India.svg Sanave Thomas
15–9, 15–1Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2005India Satellite Flag of India.svg Jaseel P. Ismail Flag of India.svg Rupesh Kumar K. T.
Flag of India.svg Sanave Thomas
14–17, 7–15Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2008 Nepal International Flag of India.svg Akshay Dewalkar Flag of Pakistan.svg Mohammad Atique
Flag of Pakistan.svg Rizwan Azam
19–21, 21–10, 21–12Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2013 Bahrain International Series Flag of India.svg K. Nandagopal Flag of India.svg Rupesh Kumar K. T.
Flag of India.svg Sanave Thomas
21–17, 12–21, 21–19Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2013 Bahrain International Challenge Flag of India.svg K. Nandagopal Flag of India.svg Rupesh Kumar K. T.
Flag of India.svg Sanave Thomas
WalkoverSilver medal icon.svgRunner-up
Mixed doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2005 Jakarta Satellite Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of Vietnam.svg Trần Thanh Hải
Flag of Vietnam.svg Ngô Hải Vân
15–1, 15–3Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2005India Satellite Flag of India.svg B. R. Meenakshi Flag of India.svg Marcos Bristow
Flag of India.svg Aparna Balan
15–10, 15–4Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2005 Welsh International Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of Scotland.svg Watson Briggs
Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier
12–15, 15–2, 15–9Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2007 Pakistan International Flag of India.svg Aparna Balan Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Diluka Karunaratne
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Renu Hettiarachchige
21–11, 21–14Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2007 Tata Open India International Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of India.svg Rupesh Kumar K. T.
Flag of India.svg Aparna Balan
21–14, 21–16Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2008 Nepal International Flag of India.svg Jwala Gutta Flag of India.svg J. B. S. Vidyadhar
Flag of India.svg Shruti Kurien
21–12, 21–15Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2008 Bahrain International Flag of India.svg Trupti Murgunde Flag of India.svg Arun Vishnu
Flag of India.svg Aparna Balan
21–17, 18–21, 19–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2013 Bahrain International Series Flag of India.svg N. Sikki Reddy Flag of India.svg Arun Vishnu
Flag of India.svg Aparna Balan
14–21, 23–25Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2013 Bahrain International Challenge Flag of India.svg N. Sikki Reddy Flag of India.svg Sanave Thomas
Flag of India.svg Prajakta Sawant
21–19, 14–21, 23–23 retiredSilver medal icon.svgRunner-up
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

Personal life

Diju was born at Ramanattukara, in the Calicut district to Karunakaran and Lalitha on 4 January 1981. He did his schooling in Govt. Model Boys School, Thrissur. He completed his graduation from Farook College, Calicut. Diju is currently working as Chief Manager in ONGC, Chennai. He is married to Dr. Soumya on 16 September 2012. Diju and Soumya have a son Ivaan, who born 16 February 2017. [11] Diju has an elder brother Dinu.

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References

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