When we talk about Badminton, we talk about Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap and others but let’s not forget the young talents who are in the fray to make the country proud.
It was yet another day for the Indian athletes to showcase real class in Thailand. Thanks to Mumbai shuttler Chirag Shetty and AP’s Sarwiksairaj Rankireddy for writing a new success story in the history of Indian badminton.
Yes, they became the first Indian men’s doubles pair from the sub-continent to clinch a BWF Super-500 tournament. The ambitious pair gave absolutely everything in the game and dominated the toughest opposition with relative ease.
The talented lads clinched this feat with smartness as they shocked reigning world champions Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen of China 21-19, 18-21, 21-18 in a hard-fought final that went beyond one hour at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok.
This marvellous achievement will help them to go into the top-10 of the world rankings, as a result making them the first Indian men’s team to touch the pinnacle of success.
“He (Chirag) has opened the doors for other badminton players, that they can also achieve (a similar feat) if they work hard and they (remain) focused,” Chirag’s father Chandrashekar told PTI over phone.
“What I can say!…Spectacular win as no Indian has ever done (achieved the feat). It paves the way for younger players who are (playing) doubles, singles we have got lot of achievements. Other players will also think that on their day if Chirag and Satvik can do it, so why can’t we. That is a big thing,” he said adding that it was a spectacular win.
Chirag’s mentor identified as Uday Pawar, who runs an academy at Goregoan Sports Club, also voiced his opinion. He felt that now more players will be interested to play doubles.
“With this win, I think the attitude of not only BAI (Badminton Association of India) but all other players who are playing will change and improve for the better. There will be more people wanting to play doubles because (now) they will have Satvik and Chirag as their heroes, role models.
“It can be start of future where we have more people playing doubles and our perennial weakness has been doubles. In singles, we have produced a number of good top players, but doubles is always not been given the importance it deserves. Maybe, now it is given that importance, you will have more players coming up and it is good for the country,” added Pawar.
After the unforgettable success of Thailand Open, the pair is not willing to stop anytime soon as they are preparing for the World Championships.