Why do we watch sport? Why is it unique? Do we only watch for the end result? Is it only about winning and losing? Or is it also about the effort, the never-give-up attitude and the fight? Isn’t that also what sport is about and part of its beauty?
Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were down 13-20 in the decider against Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the finals of the China Masters 750 Super Series. The match was almost done. In front of a raucous Chinese crowd, the final point was to be played. More a formality than anything else. Or so we all thought. Not so Satwik and Chirag. Chirag on serve, and the next five minutes were pure magic. Each point was hard-fought and each got them closer. At 17-20, the Chinese seemed a little rattled. At 18-20, they were nervous. And at 19-20, they were the ones under pressure. Yes, the subsequent point went against the Indians, but they had done everything humanly possible to script a miracle. The fact that the Chinese coach ran on to the court to celebrate was evidence of the pressure everyone was under. Each of the players collapsed in exhaustion, and Chirag sitting down on court in disappointment will be an enduring memory for some time.
Some days back, Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, had spoken about silencing a capacity crowd. Sat-Chi had almost done an Australia. To come so close was pure genius. It is only possible if you have nerves of steel and believe that it is actually not over till it’s over. To do that against the Chinese in China is as hard as it gets in sport, and the Indians almost did it for a second time after the Asian Games.
Each point from 13-20 was a story. That’s when the rollercoaster started for the crowd. From the disappointment of not nailing it, to eventually seeing their own win was the most incredible few minutes of sport. Satwik-Chirag too had seen all shades of emotion in that timespan. And so did the Chinese crowd.
Some who follow badminton avidly had tweeted that Liang and Wang had won it. And you couldn’t fault them for doing so. But then, that’s why it’s sport. As if to show what all sport is capable of, the drama started when all seemed lost. A seven-point lead was soon brought down to one and the tension was palpable. Chirag, unfazed, switched to speaking to Satwik before he got ready to serve. May be he was playing mind games. What else could he be speaking about in such a situation? To be able to stay calm under pressure against the home team spoke of incredible temperament, and both Satwik and Chirag proved to one and all why they are one of the best pairs in the business.
And just as all of us thought they might just pull off the miracle, the Chinese managed to win the last point. Again, that was sport. Somehow, they mustered the courage to dig deep. Not fall prey to the mounting tension. The Indians missed and the title was finally beyond them. The pressure, understandably, got to everyone.
All four players and their coaches, it could be said, had aged a few months in those minutes! From the ecstasy of leading 20-13 to conceding six straight points and getting to a position from where they could have lost the match, Liang and Wang had seen emotion play out in all its hues. It is tough. To know that you had almost won the match, to coming to terms with what was going on, it wasn’t easy on anyone. Having said that, this experience will make each of these players stronger and perhaps more mature.
That’s why sport is unique. The only thing that allows you to fail in public and then come back and win in public. Chirag and Satwik will as well. They are men of character, and will come back a better team and better players. The fight will define them. The comeback from 13-20. Not the last point, and not being runners-up. They have had a stellar year, and 2024 will only be better. With the Olympics just eight months away, every Indian will be praying for them.