“I felt today is our day” - Satwiksairaj Rankireddy on meeting ‘lucky’ Neeraj Chopra before final group game at Paris Olympics 2024
Indian shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who is one-half of the ace badminton duo Sat-Chi, recalled the confidence he brewed after meeting Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra before the final group game clash against Indonesia's Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Fajar Alfian on Tuesday.
“I met Neeraj bhai in the morning. The golden arm. He is lucky for me. I said, ‘bhaiya, match ke liye ja rahe hai’ [Brother, I’m going for the match]. He wished us all the best and I felt, yes, today is our day,” Satwiksairaj told reporters, as per India Today.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who are seeded third in the Olympic Games, dominated the match against their Indonesian opponents in the final game of Group C in the men's doubles competition at the Paris Olympics 2024.
The Indian pair displayed strength and stamina to win the game in straight sets by a scoreline of 21-13, 21-13. With this victory, Sat-Chi will move on to the quarter-finals of the badminton doubles event.
“It’s our time; nobody can stop us." Satwiksairaj Rankireddy says Manu Bhaker’s second bronze win gave boost to the Indian contingent
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who, along with Chirag Shetty, is ranked No. 5 in the world, said that the news of Manu Bhaker winning a second bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 was a confidence booster for all the members of the Indian contingent.
“It has given a lot of boost to the whole contingent. Before we came for the match, we saw that she won the bronze again. So we were like, ‘it’s our time, nobody can stop us’. Really [feeling] positive. Kudos to her. To win two medals, not only one, is definitely not easy,” Satwik said.
After winning a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event, ace shooter Bhaker won a second medal, along with Sarabjot Singh, in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.
Meanwhile, Satwik and Chirag will now turn their attention to the quarter-finals after topping Group C. Along with Satwik and Chirag, their opponents on Tuesday, Ardianto and Alfian, also qualified for the quarter-finals after coming second in the group games.