India's premier men's doubles duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty achieved a historic feat by securing the nation's maiden badminton gold at the Asian Games. Their path to this landmark triumph, however, was strewn with hurdles.
Chirag Shetty reflected on their challenges, stating, "It has been a tough journey and coming into this tournament, we were not playing at our best. We lost in the World Championships quarterfinals and then in the first round in the China Open. Probably, we were at our lowest." Yet, the pair's unwavering commitment saw them practising even on Sundays.
Driven by a clear objective, Chirag noted, "There was only one goal, to play to the best of our abilities and push as hard as possible and then God would decide what is in store for us in the Asian Games." Their perseverance bore fruit when they overcame the Chinese duo, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, in the men's team event final, a victory Chirag believes was their game-changer.
The anticipation of the final had Satwik remarking, "We could not sleep last night because of the excitement, I was waking up till 5 am. It was a good week for us, emotions came out and we did not plan anything. It came naturally."
Their mentor, Pullela Gopichand, hailed their win as a pivotal moment for Indian badminton. He emphasized the Asian Games' unique rigour, suggesting it's even more challenging than the Olympics due to the number of matches.
With an eye on the upcoming Paris Olympics, Gopichand mentioned, "Our qualification to Olympics is on the basis of world ranking at the end of April next year. So, we have to continue playing." He also proudly shared that the duo has ascended to the world's number-one ranking, underscoring their dedication.
Their victory also marks India's first men's doubles medal in 41 years, the last being a bronze secured by Leroy D'sa and Pradeep Gandhe in 1982.
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