'We are not looking too far ahead,' says Chirag Shetty after first round win in men's doubles at Paris Olympics 2024

Published at :July 28, 2024 at 2:07 PM

Modified at :July 28, 2024 at 5:34 PM

Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya Sen off to a winning start.

India’s badminton campaign at the Paris Olympics 2024 got off to a flying start on Saturday, July 27. Both Lakshya Sen in men’s singles and the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty scored impressive victories in their opening matches at the La Chapelle Arena.

Lakshya Sen’s thrilling debut

World No. 18 Lakshya Sen, making his Olympic debut, faced five-time Olympian Kevin Cordon of Guatemala in Group L. Sen won the match 21-8, 22-20 in a contest that lasted 42 minutes. Sen started strong, using his quick movements to win the first game in less than 15 minutes.

However, the second game proved to be a real challenge. Sen found himself trailing 20-16, just one point away from being forced into a deciding game. But in a remarkable display of mental strength, he fought back to win six points in a row, clinching the match.

After the game, Sen shared his thoughts with reporters, “It was an intense match. I felt the pressure controlling the shuttle from the other end. It was tricky.”

Reflecting on the tough second game, Sen said, “The second game was challenging. The mindset was to fight for every point and not to give any easy point.”

Sen’s next match will be against World No. 52 Julien Carraggi on Monday, followed by a match against World No. 3 Jonatan Christie.

Satwik-Chirag’s powerful performance

In the men’s doubles, the World No. 3 pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faced local French duo Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar, ranked 40th in the world. The Indian pair won convincingly with a score of 21-17, 21-14 in Group C.

Despite playing against the home crowd favourites, Satwik and Chirag showed their class. Chirag’s skillful net play combined with Satwik’s powerful smashes gave them an edge. They led 11-6 at the break in the first game and maintained their advantage to win it. The second game followed a similar pattern, with the Indians leading 11-8 at the break before sealing the match in 47 minutes.

After their victory, Chirag Shetty spoke to the media, “It was good. The first matches are always tough, we are playing in a new stadium on the biggest stage. The atmosphere is simply incredible. To see so many people come out, it’s a packed stadium. It feels really good.”

Satwik and Chirag, who have won two French Open Super 750 titles in Paris, including one earlier this year, are not getting ahead of themselves. When asked about the possibility of winning an Olympic medal in Paris, Chirag said, “We are not looking too far ahead.”

The Road Ahead

In badminton at the Paris Olympics, all events begin with round-robin group matches before moving to knockout rounds. For doubles, the top two pairs from each group will advance to the quarter-finals. In singles, only the group winners will move forward.

Satwik and Chirag’s next challenge will be against Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel of Germany on Monday. While Sen, Satwik and Chirag celebrated victories, it wasn’t all good news for India. The women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponappa and Tanisha Crasto lost their opening match to higher-ranked opponents.

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'We are not looking too far ahead,' says Chirag Shetty after first round win in men's doubles at Paris Olympics 2024

Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya Sen off to a winning start.

Lakshya Sen’s thrilling debut

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Satwik-Chirag’s powerful performance

The Road Ahead