Satwik-Chirag’s quarter final exit a major blow to India’s Olympic hopes

It’s been the most shattering result in India’s aspirations to reach the double-figure medals mark at the Paris Olympics. The ace badminton pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, former world no. 1 (currently at no. 3) who had been billed as nothing short of a gold medal prospect, slipped up as they squandered a 1-0 lead to go down to Malaysia’s unseeded Soh Wooi Yik and Chia Aaron in the quarter-final by 21-13, 14-21, 16-21, and miss out on the top-four round.

This means curtains for them as the Indian men’s hopes now rest on young Lakshya Sen and H.S. Prannoy. P.V. Sindhu, the double Olympic medallist, is also in the fray. ‘’They will be the pair to beat on current form,’’ Pulella Gopichand, head coach of the national team and the duo's mentor, had said during a visit to Kolkata in March.  

Historically speaking, this may be India’s joint-best achievement in men’s badminton at the summer Games, but this mere piece of statistic is not going to satisfy the Indian sports fan. Parupalli Kashyap, a former world no. 6 and now husband of Saina Nehwal, was credited with India's previous best achievement at the Olympics when he reached the men’s singles quarter-finals at London 2012.

Satwik-Chirag started their match on a dominant streak and overpowered the Malaysian duo to easily take the opening set 21-13. However, Yik and Aaron made a stunning comeback to win the second set 21-14 and took the match to the third and deciding set.

In the third set, the Malaysian pair took an early 5-3 lead but Chirag displayed his best to turn the tables. The Indian duo was the first to reach 10 in the set, but the Malaysian pair kept playing catch-up as much as possible throughout the decider as the Indians began to struggle to return serve and eventually lost the set 16-21.

The Malaysian pair will be facing the world no. 1 pair of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in the semi-final clash. 

Indian contingents have registered just three medals in badminton at the Olympics, with Sindhu clinching silver in Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo 2020, both in women's singles. Saina Nehwal was the first shuttler to win a medal for India when she clinched a bronze in London 2012.