New Delhi, August 22: Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faced a disappointing exit from the BWF World Championship after losing in the quarter-finals.
The duo’s journey in the tournament concluded on Friday.
In a match held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, they were defeated by the Chinese pair of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, with scores of 18-21, 9-21 after 36 minutes of play. Reflecting on their performance, Satwik and Chirag expressed that despite the challenging circumstances, they gave their all. Their focus now shifts to the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya next month.
After the quarter-final loss, Chirag shared with reporters, “I think we had a good lead in the first game, maybe 3-4 points ahead. However, we knew it was never going to be easy against them. They play a very strong and high-pressure game, and the shuttle moves quickly. We were aware that it would be fast-paced, but I believe we lost some crucial points, leading to our eventual defeat in the first game.”
Satwik has been struggling with a shoulder injury for the past few years. Although they won the Singapore Open Super 750, he had to withdraw mid-match during the Indonesia Open and Japan Open due to his injury. Chirag emphasized that despite the disappointment of not winning a medal at the home World Championship, they gave their everything, especially considering Satwik’s shoulder issues.
He added, “Of course, there is sadness. We were playing the World Championship on home ground. It hurts to see such a large crowd cheering for us, but given the circumstances we faced, I think we gave it our all. Yes, it feels bad, but playing the World Championship at home is a special experience.”
When asked about his shoulder condition, Satwik mentioned that it was manageable for the game and that it was somewhat a mental issue. He felt fine for today’s match, although he had some hesitation due to not playing matches for a while. “I was getting better and gaining confidence; there was no pain, just a bit of stiffness, which is normal,” he said.
The duo is now eagerly anticipating the Asian Games. Chirag stated, “The Asian Games is a big event. We want to go back, train hard, identify our weaknesses, and improve as we prepare for the Asian Games.”