Mathias Boe, the esteemed coach of Indian badminton stars Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, has announced his retirement from coaching following the pair’s exit from the Paris Olympics. The decision comes after Satwik and Chirag’s heartbreaking loss to Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the men’s doubles quarterfinals.
Boe, a silver medalist at the London Olympics, joined Chirag and Satwik as their coach ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. The Indian duo were considered strong contenders for a medal in Paris, but their hopes were dashed in the quarterfinals.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Boe expressed his disappointment but also his pride in his players’ efforts. “For me, my coaching days end here,” he wrote. “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.”
Boe acknowledged the pain of defeat, having experienced it himself as an athlete. “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 don’t go as you would have hoped for,” he said. “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.”
Despite the setback, Boe praised his players’ dedication and passion. “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,” he wrote. “That is dedication, that is passion, and that is a lot of heart.”
Boe’s retirement marks the end of an era for Indian badminton. Under his guidance, Chirag and Satwik emerged as one of the top doubles pairs in the world. Their success has inspired a new generation of Indian badminton players and raised the profile of the sport in the country.
