It was my first meeting with Chirag Shetty since the mixed-zone interaction after the quarterfinal loss in Paris. And the first thing that struck me was that Chirag had shed another couple of kilos. He looked unusually lean and was extremely quiet to start with. In fact, you wouldn’t even have known he was around. When we finally got a chance to catch up at some length, it seemed to me that Chirag was still trying to deal with the disappointment of Paris.
He is still in mourning and hasn’t really been able to overcome the pain. “I am still trying to process it each day,” he said with a pained smile on his face. “But then, by thinking about it, there is little we can do. We can either let it eat into our mental well-being or move on from it and learn our lessons to do better next time.”
While he did say that, we all know that it is easier said than done. In Tokyo, they were good. But in Paris, he and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were favourites to win a medal. That’s what has impacted them hard.
I was keen on trying to help Chirag, and tell him a few things. Kind of shake him up and tell him it was okay. It is okay to not be okay, and he shouldn’t be that hard on himself. That was when Valarie Allman helped us out. She said, “There are days in sport when your opponent just does things that you don’t really expect. Or you do things that aren’t really close to your best. It happens. And it is very hard to deal with. However much you try, it just doesn’t work.”
This is exactly what happened to Chirag and Satwik in Paris, and as Valarie said it, I made it a point to go to Chirag for he was listening intently to the conversation while sitting in the audience.
“We haven’t played since the Olympics, and I am much looking forward to getting back on court in China in November,” he said to me over dinner. “We had entered a lot of tournaments, but with Satwik recovering from injury, we did not play any. Now he is back to full fitness and has started matchplay, and we hope to be in China next month.”
You could sense the anticipation. A kind of keenness that defines the very best in sport. Chirag and Satwik are hungry to get back on court, and do what they love. Win matches and start enjoying the process. “Now, every single day will be dedicated to making sure that we are ready for LA 28,” said Chirag. “It is still a long way off, so we need to stay patient. Win the All England and the World Championship gold on the way, and make sure that we do everything right in getting to LA. We won’t rest easy till we win that Olympic medal.”
As he spoke, there was a smile on his face. And yet, his face kind of changed when he said it. I could see the jaw tighten up and he did not make eye contact. The pain was back, and so was the desire. It is through this pain that Chirag and Satwik will rediscover themselves. They will get better and come back stronger. With sports science, age isn’t an issue, and I am extremely optimistic they will come back a better team. And yes, they will be there in LA. And hopefully on the podium.