From being a game down and 8-13 in the decider to winning gold at the Badminton Asia Championships in Dubai, Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are clearly back at their best. Overcoming an injury setback and the disappointment of the All England Championships, they are now all set to lead the Indian challenge at the Sudirman Cup and, thereafter, the Asian Games in China. In this conversation with Boria Majumdar, Chirag, and Satwik opened up on the superb Dubai win, their plans, and the goal of becoming the world’s best doubles team.
Boria: Down a game and then 8-13, not many of us were hoping for the comeback. And that’s when it happened. And may I say, it isn’t the first time you both have staged a miraculous comeback. Tell me how it all happened.
Satwik: Like I said in the mixed zone, I think today we did not play. It was the crowd that played with us. At every single point, the crowd was behind us. Even when we were trailing, the support was fantastic. It was a poor start for us and we did not get our rhythm till the second half of the second game, but we didn’t give up. We kept our nerves. In big games, it is always about who keeps their nerve. Having played at the highest level, we know how to play in these situations. If you notice, we were clearly calmer of the two teams in the second and third games. It felt like we were playing in Hyderabad or some place in India. I will say it again – the crowd was amazing.
Boria: What works for you both in tough situations, and has it sunk in that you are gold medallists and Asian Champions? Thomas Cup to a World Championship medal, to the CWG gold and Super Series titles. Now, this. It is looking better and better.
Chirag: When you are a game down and 8-13 down, there is very little to lose. After 13-8, we tried to play smarter. You need to keep believing that you can make a comeback. Our service was one thing that worked really well; it actually took them by surprise. And as Satwik said, we were also a lot calmer while defending. On being Asian Champions, I have said this to you in the past as well – in our country, people look at the big events. They always remember the big events. However many Super Series you win, it is the Asian Games or the Olympics or the Thomas Cup that people will remember. That’s how it is, and we are aware of it. We want to win the big events for India, and now having won here, we want to do well in the Sudirman Cup and then the Asian Games.
Satwik: Personally for me, it will take a lot of time to believe that we are the Asian champions. I still don’t believe that we are Thomas Cup champions. It’s our dream to win for India, and make the flag fly high. This win means that much more because I was out for a while with injury. It wasn’t easy to deal wit,h and then coming back swith the All England was difficult. Winning the Swiss Open gave me confidence, and now this win means the tough phase is behind me finally.
Boria: You mentioned the Sudirman Cup, Chirag. May I also say the Olympic qualification will start soon. It is a huge 12 months coming up. Thoughts?
Chirag: As long as we are able to maintain our fitness and stay focused, we are ready for any event. On our day, we can beat any team and we have the confidence to do so. In Tokyo, we came close and it was sheer bad luck in the end. We also know that you won’t win every tournament. That’s not possible. But if you stay true to your game and do the right things, results are bound to come. What is important is to win the big events. That’s what will make you stand out as a team. We are conscious of the Olympic qualification, and will do all we can to consistently do well and get it done. The dream is to win a medal in Paris for India, and we won’t stop till we achieve our dream.
Boria: Final question to you, Satwik. Yet again, the celebratory jig came out real well.
Satwik: (Laughs). It first started with the PBL (Premier Badminton League), like I had told you in one of our earlier conversations. At the end of one of the matches, the organisers played a very catchy tune, and I couldn’t control myself. I started dancing spontaneously. During the Thomas Cup, they played drums and while Chirag was celebrating our win, I broke into a dance. And again at the French Open, I broke into a dance at the end of our semi-final win. In fact, I had practiced the step for the final, but used it in the semi-finals thinking that when I dance, we win like in the Thomas Cup. Here, as you have seen, it was a very close match and I couldn’t control my joy and just let my emotions take over! Chirag was celebrating as well, and it was a very emotional moment for us both. This gold medal for India is what we are here for. That’s why we play the sport. And we know what it meant to the crowd, who played every point with us.