The Indian men’s doubles badminton duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are aiming to continue their winning streak at the Paris Olympics, despite a setback in their second Group C match. The match against Germany’s Marvin Seidel and Mark Lamsfuss was canceled due to Lamsfuss’s knee injury, making their third game a must-win.
Satwiksairaj and Chirag began their Olympic campaign with a 21-17, 21-14 victory over France’s Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar. They were scheduled to face Seidel and Lamsfuss, ranked 31st in the world and the 2022 European Badminton men’s doubles champions. However, Lamsfuss’s injury forced the cancellation of the match.
As per Badminton World Federation (BWF) regulations, all matches involving Group C, including those played and yet to be played, are now considered deleted. This means that Satwiksairaj and Chirag’s next match against the Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto on Tuesday becomes crucial.
Alfian and Ardianto, formerly ranked number one, are currently ranked seventh in the world. They have won bronze medals at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships and were part of the 2020 Thomas Cup-winning Indonesian team. The Indian duo has a slight edge over the Indonesians, having won three of their five previous encounters.
Satwiksairaj and Chirag are considered strong medal contenders for India. They have won two BWF Tour titles this year, the French Open and the Thailand Open. They were also runners-up in the Malaysian Open and India Open. They were part of the Indian team that competed in the Thomas Cup 2024 but lost to China in the quarterfinals.
With a peak ranking of number one in men’s doubles, several BWF Tour titles, a World Championships bronze medal, and gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, Satwiksairaj and Chirag have a proven track record of success. They will be hoping to add an Olympic medal to their impressive collection.
