Satviksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have withdrawn from defending their men’s doubles title at next week’s Badminton Asia Championships after the former is suffering from a shoulder injury.
Badminton Asia Championships: Satvik-Chirag withdraws due to shoulder injury
Star Indian badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have declared their withdrawal from the upcoming Badminton Asia Championships in the men’s doubles category. Satvik is currently recovering from a shoulder injury, prompting the pair to pull out of the tournament.(More Badminton news)
In short
Satvik and Chirag withdraw from Badminton Asia Championship
Satvik and Chirag are expected to return for the Thomas Cup in China
Satvik has had problems with his right shoulder in the past
Star Indian shuttlers Satviksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Thursday pulled out of defending their men’s doubles title at next week’s Badminton Asia Championships as they recover from shoulder injuries. The previous April, Satwik and Chirag, presently ranked world number one, created history by breaking a 58-year-old drought as they became the first Indians since Dinesh Khanna to win the Asia Badminton Championship in Dubai. Dinesh Khanna achieved the rare feat of winning gold in 1965.
Badminton Asia Championships:
However, Satwik and Chirag, who have been in rollicking form this season, winning the French Open Super 750 and finishing runner-up in two finals, decided to pull out of the tournament on Thursday. “It’s not a new injury, it’s something that’s caused by overuse of the shoulder and Satvik is already on the road to recovery. They’re still training but the intensity is a little lower. So, looking at the bigger picture, they’ve decided to withdraw. The matter is known on condition of anonymity. A source told PTI. “They have been consistently playing finals and in a way they are lucky that it has not come during the big event. So this is a good time to solve the problem. They are aristocratic athletes and they need to choose events wisely, they shouldn’t. Don’t rush things.”
Badminton Asia Championships 2024: Satvik-Chirag withdraws due to shoulder injury
“It’s not a new injury, it’s something that’s caused by overuse of the shoulder and Satvik is already on the road to recovery. They’re still training but the intensity is a little lower. So, looking at the big picture, they’ve decided to withdraw. The matter is known on condition of anonymity. a source told PTI.
“They are consistently playing finals and in a way they are lucky that it is not during big events. So this is a good time to address the issue. They are aristocratic athletes and they need to choose events wisely, they shouldn’t. Don’t rush things.”
It is a recurring injury as Satvik has had problems with his right shoulder in the past but he and Chirag recovered from it to go on to glory for the country. But following the European leg this season, it seems to have flared up a bit. Satwik and Chirag currently enter their 10th week as world number one, surpassing Saina Nehwal’s record of nine consecutive weeks at the top of the BWF rankings. The cracking duo had a great season in the last two years, winning bronze at the 2022 World Championships, gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, gold at the 2023 Asia Championships, gold at the 2023 Asian Games, winning the 2022 Thomas Cup, winning the 2023 Indonesia Championship and the 2023 Superstar Korea Open.
The duo have been named in India’s strong Thomas Cup squad that will look to defend their title from April 27 in China. “The Thomas Cup remains an important event and they will return to the prestigious tournament as we are the defending champions” said the withdrawal of the top pair means HS Prannoy, Laksham Sen and PV Sindhu will now lead India’s charge in the prestigious tournament.