How Satwiksairaj Rankireddy's family helps ace Indian shuttler relax before major tournaments
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s father Kasi Vishwanathan said his family supported the ace Indian badminton player before major tournaments. Satwiksairaj and his partner Chirag Shetty form the only Indian pair to have ever achieved the No.1 BWF Ranking.
He won back-to-back gold medals in the Commonwealth Games and backed it up with another gold in the Asian Games last year in Hangzhou.
Apart from that, Satwiksairaj was also a part of the Indian team that won the Thomas Cup back in 2022. In the same year, he also won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Tokyo. Vishwanathan said that he and the shuttler's mother tried to stay with their son before the big championships.
"Before every big tournament like the Asian Games and world championships, we try to stay for a few days with him in Hyderabad. His mother (teacher) took a break from work and was here (in Hyderabad) for three weeks now,” Vishwanathan told PTI.
Pullela Gopichand identifies Satwiksairaj Rankireddy
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy caught the eyes of the legendary Pullela Gopichand when he advanced to the Under-15 final of the Nani Prasad Memorial tournament in Hyderabad. After that, Gopichand approached Satwiksairaj’s father, discussing the need for a top-notch doubles player.
"Gopichand told me that we need a men's doubles player for India's team championships," Vishwanathan said.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy is one of the seven Indian badminton players to participate in the Paris Olympics 2024, scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11. The other shuttlers include HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu, Ashwini Ponappa, and Tanisha Crasto.
Satwiksairaj and Shetty are placed in Group C and have a tough challenge on their hands against the Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto. They will also be up against the German pair of Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel, and the French duo of Ronan Labar and Lucas Corvee.