IMAGE: Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty had narrowly missed out of a quarterfinal berth in the last Olympics when despite winning two of their three group matches, the duo couldn’t qualify for the knockout stage as it was settled on the basis of the number of games won and lost.
Star Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty has “cracked” the service variation challenge and is focussing on “comprehensive physical and mental conditioning” to ensure peak performance at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Satwik, 23, and Chirag, 26, have been troubled by the wide variations of tumble, spin and wide serves that their opponents, mainly the Koreans and Indonesians, have employed against them during the recent tournaments.
Chirag said they have addressed the “new challenge” and remains confident of negotiating it during the Paris Games.
“Regarding serve variations, they are a new challenge, but placing complete importance on that wouldn’t be right,” Chirag told PTI in an email interview.
“There was a time when we struggled with receiving them, but we eventually cracked it. We know what to do, we’ve been practicing, and we’re confident we’ll come out strong at the Olympics to counter that.”
The current world number 3 pair had narrowly missed out of a quarterfinal berth in the last Olympics when despite winning two of their three group matches, the duo couldn’t qualify for the knockout stage as it was settled on the basis of the number of games won and lost.
“The experience of playing in the Tokyo Olympics has been invaluable in our preparation for the Paris Games. Competing at such a high level has taught us crucial lessons about handling pressure, staying focused, and adapting to different playing conditions,” Satwik said.
Chirag added: “The intensity and atmosphere of the Olympics are unparalleled, and having been through it once, we now have a better understanding of what to expect and the initial jitters of being at the Olympics for the first time are also not going to be there.”
“Additionally, winning the French Open has naturally given us a significant confidence boost.”
In the last couple of years, the duo worked its way to become the world number one after a series of sensational performance, including winning the Commonwealth Games gold medal, a bronze at the World Championships in 2022, and gold in the Hangzhou Asian Games.
They also played a crucial role in India’s epic Thomas Cup win in 2022. Satwik and Chirag have won the French Open and Thailand Open this year after reaching the finals at the Malaysian Super 750 and India Super 750.
“As the Olympics draw closer, our approach is becoming more focussed and strategic. We’re fine-tuning every aspect of our game to ensure peak performance when we step onto the court in Paris,” Satwik said.
“This includes developing specific game plans for our potential opponents by studying their strengths and weaknesses in detail, concentrating on targeted drills, and enhancing our on-court positions and shot selections.”
“We are taking a holistic approach to our preparations. We’re in a good rhythm and are eagerly looking forward to be back at the Olympics. Comprehensive physical and mental conditioning is at the heart of our preparation.”
The duo has been troubled sometimes by the left-right combinations such as Korean Seo Seung-jae and Kang Min-hyuk and Danish Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen but Chirag feels they don’t have any problem against any particular pair.
“I can’t really pinpoint a specific pair that we find particularly tricky to play against. On any given day, if a pair plays well, they can pose a challenge. However, I believe that if we play at our best, we can beat anyone,” he said.
“So, there’s no specific pair or lefty-righty combination that particularly affects us. That said, all our competitors in the Olympics will be quite good…”
On expectations and handling pressure at the big-ticket event, Satwik said: “We understand Olympics is the greatest, biggest tournament there is and naturally there are hopes and wishes from each Olympic-bound athlete.”
“We don’t want to think so much about the pressures, we’re looking to go out there, enjoy the atmosphere, have a great time on court and take it one game at a time and see how it goes. We do not want to put ourselves under any pressure from the word go.”
“We’re used to the expectations and pressures that come along in our game… we’re primarily looking to go out there and do great things on the court and have fun while doing that.”
Chirag and Satwik are also mentors of PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship (JBC), which will begin on August 1 in the national capital.
“JBC offers a fantastic opportunity to nurture budding badminton talent in India. JBC also offers players access to mentoring, coaching, and training from veterans in the sport. Badminton has significantly shaped my life, and I want to share its benefits with the next generation, helping them achieve their dreams,” Chirag said.
Satwik said: “As JBC mentors, we offer guidance on videos to young athletes on drills, techniques, strategies to improve their game, tips on mental resilience, and managing competition stress. Chirag and I will also be offering tips to players in person, whenever we visit any city edition matches.”
