India’s highest-ranked male doubles players, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, expressed their elation after winning the Badminton Asia Championship men’s doubles title. Shetty was over the moon after securing the title.
On Sunday, the Indian men’s doubles team accomplished a historic feat by winning the gold medal in the Badminton Asia Championships 2023 by defeating Malaysia’s Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi in a thrilling men’s doubles final that lasted one hour and seven minutes.
Shetty and Rankireddy achieved victory by defeating the Malaysian duo 16-21, 21-17, 21-19.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the President of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), announced a reward of 20 lakhs for this historic win by the Indian duo.
After the match, Shetty stated, “I am over the moon after winning the Badminton Asia Championships title. Satwik and I worked very hard for this medal, and I am delighted that we have finally won the title. Additionally, I would like to thank everyone back home for supporting me.
“I am grateful for all the support we received during the Badminton Asia Championships. Winning this tournament for the first time is a great feeling, and I am sure we will win more such titles in the future. We will continue to work hard to bring laurels to the country,” concluded Rankireddy.
This is the first-ever gold medal for India in the men’s doubles category at the Badminton Asia Championships. Dipu Ghosh and Raman Ghosh won a bronze medal in 1971 when they reached the semi-finals of the competition. Dinesh Khanna is the only gold medal winner for India in the men’s singles category in the continental championships. He won the men’s singles title back in 1965.
Regarding the final, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy stated that they prevailed against the Malaysian pair with the support of the crowd.
“Today, we didn’t play; the crowd played with us. It was a rough start in the first and half of the second game, but we didn’t give up. We kept our nerves; we know how to play in these situations. So, we were waiting for a good rhythm and then take our chances. We were calmer in the second and third games. It felt like playing in Hyderabad. The crowd was amazing.”
Chirag Shetty stated that the turning point in the match was when they were at a score of 13-8 in the second game.
“After 13-8, we tried to play a little smarter. The service was one thing that worked really well for us; it took them by surprise. We were also a lot calmer while defending as well.”
As for how it felt to make history and become Asian champions, Rankireddy stated, “Personally, for me, it will take a lot of time to believe that we are the Asian champions. I still don’t believe we are Thomas Cup champions. It’s our dream to win for India and make the flag fly high. Good boost for us as we head into the Olympic qualification period.”
This is easily Shetty and Rankireddy’s most significant title after the World Championship bronze.