New Delhi, June 21: In recent years, Indian badminton is on a high. Be it the Olympics or any global tournament, Indian shuttlers have proved their mettle and often finished with medals and trophies.
With Paris Olympics 2024 round the corner, India's star men's doubles badminton duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have acknowledged the high expectations placed on them. They said they are taking pressure positively to stay focused.
The pair have won Bronze at the 2022 BWF World Championships and Gold at the 2022 Asian Games.
Chirag-Satwik pair was the first Indian men’s doubles pair to achieve the World No. 1 ranking and will represent India at Paris 2024, which will be their second Olympics appearance.
The duo spoke with Dinesh Karthik on JioCinema’s ‘Get Set Gold,’ discussing their experiences in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic village, Rankireddy's Olympic ritual with Neeraj Chopra, and how they are handling pressure leading up to Paris 2024.
"We take it as a responsibility to make the Indian flag fly high at the Olympics. We will work hard to achieve that." Chirag, unfazed by the pressure, aims to channel it into positive energy to stay focused on their goals. "Pressure is there, but we view it positively," said Satwik.
Chirag, meanwhile, recounted their Olympic debut experience at Tokyo 2020 and the surreal feeling of living in the Olympic village. "Competing in Tokyo and realizing we were among the world’s best athletes was an incredible feeling. Walking around the village, it struck me that these top athletes are just normal people, yet they are the best in their fields."
Satwik also revealed his pre-match ritual involving Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Neeraj Chopra. "Neeraj was always there, congratulating everyone. I consider him a lucky charm, so I made sure to shake hands with him before every match, saying, 'Bhaiya, match hai'."
Chirag also reflected on his parents’ emotions regarding his achievements at such a young age. "For them, I am still a child, not an internationally acclaimed player. They see me as they did ten years ago. They are grateful to God, and I owe my journey to divine support and my parents."
Satwik and Chirag are currently third in the men’s doubles BWF World Rankings and are serious contenders for Paris 2024. In the last two years, the duo won a Gold Medal each in the 2022 Asian Games and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, along with more accolades at the 2022 World Championships, 2022 Thomas Cup, and 2023 Asian Championships.
With the young Indian pair be able to win a medal in the Paris Olympics? That would be the focus of crores of badminton lovers in India. They may or may not. But at least both Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty seem to be positive and are focussed to achieve their goal, that is a big stride in their Olympics medal journey. (With IANS support)
