Sometimes, pairing two lively components in the similar crucible can end up counterproductive. however Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty at six toes and 6 one respectively, two peas of the similar pod, are writing a chemistry of their very own making.
Stumbled upon within the badmintonlab of much-travelled Malaysian trainer Tan Kim Her, the duo is making waves with a sport this is in response to brute power and dominating the opponent, whoever it can be, with power-packed smashes and competitive, attacking play.
Pairing two smashers is at all times a dangerous proposition for any trainer. But, in 2016, Tan Kim, then India trainer, noticed one thing which the others would not.
For a get started, it used to be the enforcing sight of 2 towering frames around the courtroom, straight away instilling concern in any opponent, that can have given Tan Kim the fundamental thought. But who mentioned it will be simple? Satwik have been coaching on the Pullela Gopichand Academy since 2014 Chirag Arrived in Hyderabad for a countrywide camp from Mumbai. The cunning Malaysian requested the duo to paintings in combination for a couple of days earlier than making a last resolution.
When they received Thailand Open in 2019, their first main a Super-500, they beat the reigning global No. 1 pair – Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen of China – on the identify.
Thereafter, there used to be no preventing them as they pummeled many most sensible pairs into submission with their attacking sport. And remaining week, when Satwik set a Guinness global report for the quickest badminton destroy, cracking the travel at 565 kmph, now not many had been shocked. There had been a couple of 500 kmph+ smashes too on the Korean Open the place the Indians reigned splendid on Sunday.
But all of it may have been this type of non-starter. Weaning younger Satwik clear of early life good friend and primary spouse, Krishna Prasad Garaga may have proved an emotional upheaval. Thankfully, it did not.
For Chirag, it used to be the relative anonymity that includes relinquishing a person game that brought about the preliminary doubts. Add to that, the bigger the calls for that creating a shift from house can carry. Again, fortunately, they had been expelled quickly.
Hailing from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh, the present-day tremendous smasher Satwik started enjoying badminton when he used to be six. Father Kasi recalls: “I was a physical director and he started playing badminton with us when he was six. After he won the under-10 district titles, we took him to an academy in Visakhapatnam. But the coaches advised us to move to Gopichand Academy.”
Krishna Prasad used to be a circle of relatives good friend. “In fact, it was Krishna Prasad’s father who was the more involved in their early mentoring. Gangadhar used to treat Satwik like his own son, taking both boys to tournaments, attending to their needs off court,” Kasi mentioned.
“Picking Chirag was a very difficult decision,” he would upload. “When coach Tan wanted to pair Satwik and Chirag, we didn’t like it as Krishna is like family to us. But Gopi sir spoke to me. ‘When you admitted your son here you told me that you are giving him for India to win a medal. Stick to that, don’t get emotional,’ Gopi sir told me. Reluctantly, we agreed, and they became a top class pair.”
Singles to doubles: A tectonic shift
If it used to be sacrificing the relief of enjoying with a early life good friend for Satwik, in search of a brand new spouse marked Chirag Shetty’s first foray into doubles badminton. Equally, it used to be an excessively tricky resolution to make a decade again when he used to be informed by way of trainer Uday Pawar to make a choice from singles and doubles.
Chirag used to be doing smartly in each classes, and the ultimatum left him in a repair. Pawar used to be transparent that doubles would swimsuit his ward extra. “He had a natural aptitude for doubles, so I pressed upon him to prefer that,” Uday informed TOI.
Like any teenager, Chirag used to be now not satisfied to start with. Not simply him, father Chandrasekhar do not need any of it. He did not need the son to play in a group tournament. “I wanted my son to excel in some individual sport as other factors have little say in individual events. But it was a decision Chirag and coach had taken,” father Chandrasekhar mentioned.
It used to be after a doubles quarterfinal loss at a National match in Panchkula that Chirag discovered that enjoying each singles and doubles used to be taking a toll on his frame and affecting his efficiency. That’s when he made the transfer utterly. Partnering MR Arjun, Chirag began profitable titles on the nationwide and global degree.
Chirag used to be offered to badminton as a seven-year-old on the Goregaon Sports Club in 2004. “His coach objected as he was too young for badminton. But Chirag developed a liking for shuttle sports. We are a sports-loving family. Though my brothers used to play well, my father did not allow us to pursue sports as a career. But I wanted my children to take up sports,” father Chandrasekhar remembered.
“We sent him for the national camp in Hyderabad. Coach Kim Tan Her wanted him to pair with Satwik and train in Hyderabad. We were against sending him to any other city,” the daddy would admit.
“It was definitely a difficult decision. He had to leave his partner Arjun while Satwik had to part ways with Krishna Prasad. But we preferred to go with Satwik,” mentioned Chandrasekhar, including. “In fact, in several matches Chirag and Arjun defeated Satwik and Co.”
The resolution to shift to Hyderabad and spouse Satwik has labored wonders for each. With an international no. 1 score inside achieve, not anything turns out out of achieve for Indian game’s smashing duo.