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Rankireddy says it was an incredible feeling to win the Asian Championships after being part of India’s Thomas Cup winning team
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India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty pose with their gold medals. — UAE Badminton Federation
After four singles finals on the final day of the Badminton Asia Championships, the Rashid bin Hamdan Hall at the Al Nasr Club was packed to witness the intense battle for the men’s doubles title.
In the end, India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty jumped for joy amidst the deafening din of their supporters.
The talented duo staged a thrilling comeback to beat Malaysia’s Ong Yeow Sin and Teo Yee Yee, ending India’s 58-year wait for gold at the Asian Championships and setting a new record for Indian badminton after last year’s historic Thomas Cup triumph. Bring the latest silverware.
Rankireddy and Shetty won 16-21, 21-17, 21-19 after Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting won his first gold medal and Chinese Taipei superstar Tai Tzu-ying won at the Asian Championships. Won the Asian Championships for the third time last year with a landslide victory over Loh Kean Yew and An Se Young in the men’s and women’s singles finals.
Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia
Chinese Taipei superstar Tai Tzu Ying
The women’s doubles and mixed doubles finals were also a one-sided affair, but Sunday’s crowd finally got their money’s worth when the men’s doubles tiebreaker finalists put up an intense match.
With an 8-13 lead in the second frame, Rankireddy and Shetty turned the tables in a show of extraordinary skill and spirit after losing the first frame.
India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in dramatic final
But Rankireddy admitted that they would not have been able to succeed without the strong support of the Indian fans.
“I think today we didn’t play alone, the audience played with us. It felt like we were playing in Hyderabad. The audience was great,” Rankireddy said.
“The first half of the second game started badly but we didn’t give up. We stayed tight; we knew how to deal with these situations.
“So, we waited for a good rhythm and then took our chances. We were more calm in the second and third games.”
Rankireddy, 22, said winning the Asian Championships after being part of India’s Thomas Cup-winning team was an incredible feeling.
“Personally, it took me a long time to believe that we are the Asian champions. I still don’t believe that we are the Thomas Cup champions,” he said.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty celebrate dramatic win
“It’s our dream to win for India and to fly the flag high. It’s a good boost for us as we go into Olympic qualifying.”
Men’s doubles medalists pose for a photo with officials.
Meanwhile, world number two Ginting took just 28 minutes to beat 2021 world champion Loh 21-12, 21-8 in the men’s singles final.
Zi Ying, who beat South Korean star Se Young 21-10, 21-14 in the women’s singles final for her third gold at the Asian Championships, revealed she plans to skip the tournament.
“It’s been a while since I played in the Asian Championships. I didn’t intend to play in the first place, but when I learned that it happened in Dubai, I planned to come because I have good memories in Dubai,” Said Ziying, who has won the BWF Super Series Finals twice in Dubai (2014, 2016).
Women’s singles medalists: (from left) runner-up An Se-young of South Korea, Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei, bronze medalist Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and Chen Yufei of China
In an all-Chinese mixed doubles final, Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin defeated Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong 21-15 21-16.
Japan’s Yuki Fukushima/Hirota Sayaka defeated South Korea’s Baek Hana/Lee So Hee 21-7 21-14 to claim the women’s doubles title.
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