“I’m a tired old man” - Satwik-Chirag’s mentor Mathias Boe takes a temporary retirement after the duo’s exit from the Paris Olympics 2024
Former Denmark shuttler and the coach of Indian duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, Mathias Boe, has announced a temporary retirement from coaching.
Ranked as the top contenders for the gold medal in men’s doubles, Satwik-Chirag faced a disappointing loss in the quarterfinals to the Malaysian pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, with scores of 21-13, 14-21, and 16-21. This defeat marked the end of their Paris Olympics 2024 campaign and subsequently led to Boe's emotional announcement.
Boe, who has played a pivotal role in mentoring the World No. 3 pair, declared his decision on social media, citing exhaustion and the stresses of coaching as reasons for stepping back.
“For me, my coaching days end here. I’m not going to continue in India or anywhere else, for now at least. I have spent too much time in a badminton hall, and it’s also pretty stressful to be a coach. I’m a tired old man.”
“I want to thank the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Garg Sir and Rakesh Sir, the Badminton Association of India, and Go Sports for their support over the years. Also, a huge shout-out to all my colleagues in Indian Badminton. Thank you for a lot of good memories, and I wish you all the best,” wrote Mathias Boe.
“I know you guys are gutted” - Mathias Boe’s heartfelt message to Satwik-Chirag
Mathias Boe has had a great career himself as a player for Denmark. He achieved World No. 1 ranking and secured a silver medal with Carsten Mogensen in men’s doubles at the London Olympics 2012. Boe also boasts a Thomas Cup gold from the 2016 Kunshan edition.
Transitioning into coaching, Boe brought his wealth of experience to the Indian badminton scene. Under his guidance, Satwik-Chirag became the first Indian pair to achieve the World No. 1 ranking and have also won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games 2022, Asian Games 2023, and Asian Championships 2023. Boe even coached them during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where the duo failed to qualify for the quarterfinals.
In a special message to Satwik-Chirag, Boe acknowledged the efforts that the duo has put in through the years and praised them for whatever they have accomplished.
“I know the feeling all too well myself. Pushing yourself to the limit every day, to be in the best shape of your life, and then things doesn’t go as you would have hoped for. I know you guys are gutted, I know how much you wanted to bring a medal back to India, but this time, it wasn’t meant to be.”
“But you have everything to be proud of how hard you have worked in this Olympics camp, battling injuries, even taken injections to reduce the pain, that is dedication, that is passion, and that is a lot of Heart. You have won so much over the past years, and you are going to win so much more in the future,” concluded Mathias Boe.