Manush Shah and Diya Chitale ended India’s eight-year wait for a mixed doubles medal at the Asian Games by stunning Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem 11-6, 13-15, 11-9, 11-5. The Hong Kong duo is ranked No. 4 in the world rankings.
The win over Ting and Kem was a historic achievement for the Indian paddlers and it left Sourav Chakraborty, their coach, speechless. Chakraborty spoke exclusively to Sports Now after the win and revealed what made them stand out. Excerpts:
Sports Now: First of all, what do you want to say about this achievement?
Sourav: I am speechless… finally…yes, we have a medal. I hope others will do great too.
Sports Now: Manush Shah and Diya Chitale beat four-time World Championships medallists in the quarterfinals. That speaks volumes about the level of their achievement. Please reflect on the match.
Sourav: Manush and Diya have been very consistent and they played in that way too…with good strategy.
Sports Now: What made Manush and Diya’s game stand out? Please tell us about the strategy you saw from them and their communication on the court.
Sourav: They were firm enough and went perfect as per the strategy. They found them always positive and active too. They had a good understanding between them.
Sports Now: Next, the target would, of course, be a better colour of the medal. How are they feeling ahead of their next clash – a tough one against World No. 2 pair Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha? It will be a difficult challenge, but certainly not an impossible one.
Sourav: Yes, it is one of the best and toughest pairs, but I would tell them that nothing is impossible. They just need to focus on their game and continue to play actively with strategy.
Sports Now: How is the overall mood in the team now, especially after the team events and this medal?
Sourav: Overall, it’s a nice feeling. We were waiting eagerly for a medal and it is finally here.