“They have a complete game and are surely going to be the team to watch out for in the next few months,” said Pullela Gopichand when I asked him about Satwik and Chirag, and how he saw them shaping up in the next two years. “If you check, there are few like them around the world. They have the physical strength to hit the big smashes, they have the defence and age is on their side. They will only get better. And having played in Tokyo and knowing what it is all about, they will surely be one of our best bets for Paris.”
Between 2021 and 2023, Satwik and Chirag have become a force to reckon with globally. They had the talent, but the belief that they could win on the big stage and have an impact has come in the last one year. Multiple Super Series titles, the Asian Games gold and a fleeting taste of the world No. 1 position – it has been a fantastic year for the duo.
The question is, what is working for them and how can they get even better?
For the longest time, doubles was ignored in Indian badminton. It was all about singles and hardly any real attention was given to doubles. Unlike in some other sports, doubles in badminton is as important and as competitive as singles, and we in India have taken long to realise this. In fact, this is where Gopichand made the maximum difference. He was able to convince the country about the importance of doubles, get the focus back on it and now Satwik and Chirag have all the facilities they need to further improve their game. Mathias Boe, India’s specialist doubles coach and one who has been with Satwik and Chirag all through, has made a serious difference to the pair and will be staying on to help the due till Paris 2024.
The journey of Sat-Chi, however, isn’t complete. While they have won a Super 1000, it is important to note that they have not made the year-end competition and not won the coveted Olympic medal yet. In the most recent China Masters final, Satwik and Chirag had their moments. They won the second game and made a stellar comeback in the third against Liang and Wang. Getting the better of this young Chinese pair could well be critical for Chirag and Satwik if they are to stand atop the podium in Paris in 2024.
What works for them is they are very different people, and yet very similar. They travel and stay together and yet their habits and likes and dislikes are profoundly different. While Chirag is outgoing and flamboyant, Satwik is an introvert. While Satwik prefers Indian food, Chirag is the opposite and loves his Japanese and other global cuisines. So, how do they manage? They either go to a food court where all options are available, or one of them eats first while the other offers company, and then go to a place where the other gets his preferred food. They have figured out their own ways of backing each other up and it is working well for them.
Most importantly, they are there for each other on bad days. “If you are playing doubles, the first thing is you can’t blame your partner for an off day,” said Gopi. “You win together and you lose together. You need to take it in your chin and move on. Things won’t go well for you everyday and you need to understand that as sportspeople.”
“We know we are different and that’s how it should be,” said Chirag in a detailed interview with RevSportz. “Satwik prefers to do his own thing while I love going out.” On court, however, they are hardly different. They have now brought aggression to their game and we have seen a very expressive Satwik in recent times. What was excellent to see was their ability to come back from difficult situations. On multiple occasions, they were able to save game points and come back and win key points to seal a game. And when you are able to do that against different opponents, it shows self-belief and confidence.
As long as Satwik and Chirag are able to maintain their fitness and stay focused, they will surely go into Paris as one of the contenders. For a country starved of Olympic champions, this pair is easily the big thing in Indian badminton. But with India living off Olympic titles, their moment could well come in August 2024. In Tokyo, they came close by beating the famed Chinese Taipei pair in the very first match of the competition and it was sheer bad luck that they had to bow out having won the same number of matches as the two other teams in the group. In fact, the Taipei pair went on to win gold, proof of how close the competition was.
As they get ready for a new year, a prediction is in order – 2024 could well be the year when they dominate world doubles. That’s when the journey will come full cycle for Satwik and Chirag, a journey that started in earnest some eight years back and was honed at the P Gopichand academy in Hyderabad. They are two young men living a dream and are focussed on a mission. With serious support coming their way, there is no reason why they won’t be able to fulfil their aspiration of winning an Olympic medal and giving India a first-ever doubles medal in badminton at the Olympics.