Who is Chirag Shetty? All you need to know about the Indian badminton player competing in the Paris Olympics 2024
Chirag Shetty, also known as Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty, is a talented Indian badminton player who specializes in mixed teams and men's doubles events. Chirag has given notable performances both nationally and internationally over the years.
Chirag’s began training at the Uday Pawar Badminton Academy but later on, he moved to Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad. His initial game partner was Arjun M.R., but later he got paired with his current partner Satwiksairaj Ranikareddy by their coach.
Chirag and Rankireddy won several BWF World Tour titles and a gold medal in men's doubles at the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022. They also played an essential role in India's historic Thomas Cup victory in 2022.
The duo achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first Indian doubles pair to reach the world No. 1 ranking in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings. They also clinched a silver medal in men’s doubles and a gold medal in mixed team event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
However, Chirag Shetty along with Rankireddy couldn't win any medals for the country at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 but their performance afterwards gained them a spot in the Paris Olympics 2024. They are looking to overcome the disappointment of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and leave their mark in Paris.
How did Chirag Shetty qualify for the 2024 Olympics?
Chirag Shetty's journey from the badminton courts of Mumbai to the grand stage of the Olympics has been nothing short of inspiring. He is going to compete in men’s mixed and doubles events along with his partner Rankireddy at the Paris Olympics 2024.
The qualification process for badminton at the Paris Olympics 2024 involved a 52-week qualifying period from May 1, 2023, to April 28, 2024. The pair also needed to be ranked within the top 16 before the end of the qualification World Ranking List.
During the qualification period, the dynamic duo performed exceptionally well and won a gold medal in the 2023 Asian Games.They met easily with the criteria of ranking, as they are currently the world's No.3 pair in the rankings.