Badminton News: It's a fateful year for the Indian men's doubles badminton pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Besides being ranked first in the world for a while, they managed to win three BWF titles and gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The Khel Ratna Award, the highest sporting honor in India, comes in addition. But the two players who are representing IOCL at the PSPB Inter-Unit Team Championship here, have set their sights higher.
Even if the Paris Olympics remain their ultimate goal, both men are aiming for the All England Open in March. A good performance in the Super 1000 event could open the quadrennial event in July-August.
“2023 is an extraordinary year for us, but it is important to stay fresh and fit. As 2024 dawns, the Olympic Games are our main goal. There are still other competitions that we have not won, like the All England. Hopefully 2024 will be another great year,” said 26-year-old Chirag.
The Andhra-Mumbai duo nevertheless occupies pole position in the Race to Paris ranking. Currently, they are in second place and a spot is almost guaranteed, giving them the opportunity to choose which tournament they want to enter before the Olympic qualifying cycle ends on April 28. This in turn can help them stay fresh before the match. at the Olympic games.
“Our main goal is to give our best in the competitions we decide to enter and to make sure we don't play too many tournaments. We want to decide on a suitable event. We don’t want to play 3-4 tournaments in a row,” Chirag said.
Having topped the rankings with consistent performances over the past few years, expectations for the duo are sky-high, adding to the pressure. Given their form, the duo is one of India's best bets to win an Olympic gold medal – a medal India has never won in badminton.
Satwik spoke about the rigors of the Olympics with all the competing couples trying to shine.
“The Olympics are different from other tournaments. It is not easy. The feeling is also different compared to tournaments like the Super Series. At the Olympic Games, there are no favorites. These are the 16 best pairs, and each team will give their best. “There will be no easy matches, it will be difficult,” added Satwik.
Article tag: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Paris 2024 Olympics
