Shuttlers Satwik, Chirag want to cap CWG debut with historic first medal

NEWDELHI: Expectations would be high from Indian badminton’s star-studded singles line-up but away from the spotlight, SatwikSairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are aiming to end the country’s men’s doubles medal drought at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in their debut appearance.

At 17 and 20 respectively, Satwik and Chirag form a formidable pair that has proved its mettle at international level, often punching above their weight, only to fall short of a podium finish.

“It was my father’s dream to see me play at the Commonwealth Games and so when I heard I was selected for the event, it made me so happy. It’s a dream for every sportsperson and I think we are pretty confident we can win a medal,” Satwik said.

Chirag added: “No Indian men’s pair has won a medal at the CWG. If you look at the pool,, Olympic silver and Olympic bronze medallists from Malaysia and England are playing but we have been playing well, so we are confident of a good show.”

BREAKTHROUGH

It was the Tata Open India International Challenge win that brought the duo into limelight in 2016 when they won the men’s doubles. They also won in Mauritius and Bangladesh, but their biggest win came last year when they clinched the Vietnam Open international challenge. They also qualified for the Glasgow World Championships and managed to reach the quarters at the Korea Open and French Open.

This year, Satwik and Chirag made it to the semis at Indonesia Masters and could have been in the All England quarters but for controversial service faults.

With the disappointment behind them, Satwik and Chirag have set their sights on the Commonwealth Games. Their consistent performance also saw them knocking on the top 20 ranking.