Success of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in badminton doubles augurs well for India’s Olympic prospects
It was the manner in which Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty beat World No 1 and 3 the last week in Indonesia that raised hopes of even brighter tidings. The comprehensive wins showed that nothing is impossible, even an Olympic gold, should they continue in the same vein. The duo spoke of their burning ambition and how the Indonesia Super 1000 was a start. The title at Jakarta’s Istora Senayan had come after some solid hard yards, and consistent results in finals, having won eight of the last 10 contests displaying stellar temperament.
What is path-breaking is this success has come in a discipline where India has no tradition or history of supremacy — in doubles. The likes of Saina Nehwal, P V Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth had followed in the footsteps of Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand. Satwik and Chirag have had no such template, nor benchmarks to follow in India. Not to be mistaken with doubles in tennis, the paired event in badminton is extremely competitive and immensely physical. The Asian Games men’s doubles gold will undoubtedly be the toughest fought for of the medals later this year at Hangzhou.
Taped knees, shoulders and calves are a common sight on the badminton court, and bad news is one injury away from stellar careers. The workload of Satwik and Chirag need to be managed with utmost care. That doubles is crucial in team events was evident last summer when India won the Thomas Cup. But Satwik-Chirag’s victory on the World Tour can catapult the discipline to greater heights and attract more young sportspersons to doubles. It’s not everyday that Indians win at the iconic Istora and raise hope of an Olympic gold.