Strong show: India pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (left) and Chirag Shetty will play Lucas Corvee-Ronan Labar of France for a place in the last eight today. — LOW BOON TAT/The Star
PETALING JAYA: India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty have transformed themselves from a blindly-smashing duo into a versatile world class men’s doubles pair, thanks to former Denmark international Mathias Boe’s classy touch.
Boe, an Olympic (2012) and World Championships (2013) silver medallist with Carsten Morgensen, came on board as coach six months before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and has added variation into Satwiksairaj-Chirag’s game.
It started having some positive effect but the duo were without the services of the Dane seven months after the Olympics and only resumed several weeks before the Thomas Cup Finals in May, 2022.
Satwiksairaj-Chirag settled in like fish to water as they inspired India to win their first Thomas Cup title and went on to clinch the Commonwealth Games gold in London the same year.
It got better last year where they became the first Indian pair to rise to world No. 1 in the men’s doubles and also triumphed at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, which was the country’s first ever gold medal in badminton.
Chirag said they would have started achieving success faster if not for Boe’s seven-month absence after the 2021 Olympics but they have nothing to complain at the rate of their current success.
“We have always been an attacking pair but since training under Mathias, we are not just blindly smashing but our game is more structured now,” said Chirag at the Axiata Arena.
“It is more quality training than quantity. Our defence has also improved and attack is more versatile since Mathias came in.
“Overall it was a good year as we were able to achieve most of them and our ultimate target this year is to do well at the Olympics.
“Obviously, we want to win a medal at the Olympics and if we can play to our best, I think we have good chance of achieving that.
“I don’t think winning the Asian games gold medal makes us the favourites in Paris because you have South Korea, Malaysia and China pairs there and nobody have dominated the men’s doubles.”
Satwiksairaj-Chirag began their campaign at the Malaysian Open yesterday with an impressive 21-12, 21-19 win over Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulan of Indonesia in the first round.
Satwiksairaj, who has been bothered with a right shoulder injury after the Asiad, is happy to have come through the first match without any issues anymore.
“I was bothered by a shoulder problem after the Asian Games and in 2022 (Malaysian Open), I had a hip injury and gave a walkover.
“I have fully recovered,” said Satwiksairaj.
“I have been careful with my health and we played fewer tournaments last year but with better quality.”
Satwiksairaj-Chirag Shetty, the world No. 2, will meet Lucas Corvee-Ronan Labar of France for a place in the last eight today.
