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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty end India’s 58-year wait for Asian Championships gold
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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty celebrate their victory. – Twitter
Little did Dhiren Ayyappan and Aakash Ravikumar know that just days after playing the first rounds of the Asian Badminton Championships, they would be sitting among a crowd of enthusiastic fans watching the epic men’s doubles final at the Rashid bin Hamdan Hall in Al Nasr Club .
The two young Emirati badminton players made history as Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty beat Malaysia’s Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi with thrilling victories (16-21, 21-17, 21-19).
“Yesterday, after the Indians won every point, the crowd went crazy,” Dylan, who played in the men’s doubles with his twin brother Dev, told harrij times.
The 17-year-old Emirati now hopes that 2022 World Championship bronze medalists Rankireddy and Shetty will be fighting for gold at every major event.
“They are already one of the best teams in the world. I think they will be the biggest contenders for the World Championship later this year,” said Dylan, who lost to the legendary Indonesian doubles in the first round of the Asian Championships in Dubai. Combination Muhammad Assan and Hendra Setiawan.
Former world champions Ahsan and Setiawan eventually lost to Rankireddy and Shetty in the quarterfinals.
While Dhiren said the Indian pair’s win inspired him to take a big step forward in his career, Ravikumar, who competes in the mixed doubles at the UAE Asian Championships, attributed India’s recent success in doubles to Mathias Boe.
“It was an unbelievable match in an unbelievable atmosphere. This win is a testament to the progress India has made in doubles. I think in general the reason behind their success in doubles is Mattia Sboy, he’s a great player.
“Boe is now coaching the Indian doubles team. He has made a huge impact in India’s doubles. Even Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly (semi-finalists at the All England in March) have done well in women’s doubles.”
Meanwhile, it’s an exciting time for Dubai-based badminton enthusiast Clifford Krasto, whose daughter Tanisha is now India’s top mixed doubles player.
“I am very happy for Satwiksairaj and Chirag. I know them personally because they are my daughter’s Indian teammates,” he said.
“What a final, you never know which team is going to win until the last minute. I’ve seen a lot of badminton in my life, but this is one of the best I’ve ever seen.”
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