Badminton Asia Championships 2023: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinch maiden doubles title
M Sudharshan
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty created history by becoming the first Indian doubles pair to win the gold medal at the Badminton Asia Championships 2023. The WR 6 pair defeated eighth-seeded Malaysian duo Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi in three games (16-21, 21-17, 21-19).
The Indian pair made a great comeback after losing the opening game (16-21). Satwik-Chirag won five points on the trot in the second game to go from 7-13 down to behind by just a point at 12-13. With the opening game already in the bag and leading in the second game, the Malaysian pair were the favourites to win the match but lost momentum and the second game 17-21.
The Commonwealth Games gold medallists then did not have a good start to the deciding game, losing two points at the start. The Indian pair justified their tag “Brothers of Destruction” to win the deciding game and the match comprehensively.
Earlier, Rankireddy and Shetty advanced to the Badminton Asia Championships final for the first time after defeating reigning Olympic champions Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin 21-18, 13-14 – retired midway due to injury.
The Indian duo had smooth sailing in the opening two rounds. They defeated their idols “daddies” Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan in straight games (21-17, 22-20) in the quarter-finals to secure what turned out to be India’s only medal in this edition of the continental event.
Other Indians in the fray, PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy both fell in the quarter-finals of their respective singles event. The latter exited due to an injury while the former suffered a three-game loss to silver medallist An Se Young.
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Satwik-Chirag’s journey to Badminton Asia Championships 2023 gold medal
Round 1 – defeats Tan Kian Meng/Tan Wee Kiong (21-14, 21-17)
Round 2 – defeats Jin Yong/Na Sung Seung (21-18, 21-12)
Quarter-finals – defeats Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan (21-17, 22-20)
Semi-finals – defeats Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin (21-18, 13-14) retired
Final – defeats Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (16-21, 21-17, 21-19)
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