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Fresh from their historic China Masters triumph, Indian men's doubles stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are looking to carry their confidence and match fitness into the 2026 Asian Games while keeping expectations in check as they prepare to defend their title.
Satwik and Chirag became the first Indian men's doubles pair to win the China Masters title after defeating China's He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in the final. The victory also marked their second BWF World Tour Super 750 title of the season, following their Singapore Open triumph. Speaking at a virtual press conference facilitated by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Monday, Chirag said the China Masters victory had provided a significant confidence boost ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, scheduled from September 19 to October 4, particularly after the pair's difficult return from injury. It feels really good, obviously, to win the China Masters right before the Asian Games. It definitely gives us a huge confidence boost going into the Asian Games, especially after having a tough few months being away from the court. So, it definitely gives us a boost that yes, the things that we are doing are actually working, and we've had some really good match practice as well. And we just want to go out there and give our best at the Asian Games. It's a major event, and we've always looked up to and wanted to perform well at the Asian Games, and likewise, this time, too, we want to go out there and really do well for the country, he said. The pair had endured a frustrating World Championships campaign, where they lost in the quarterfinals after returning to competitive action following a lengthy injury layoff. However, Satwik said the China Masters served as an important test of their bodies ahead of the demanding Asian Games schedule. "I think it was more about the physical aspect of this tournament, like how we are coping, how our body can handle. Because the Asian Games you have to play almost 10 days; you will play team events, then you have individuals. So I think it was a good test for us," he said. The China Masters also gave the pair an opportunity to address some of the shortcomings from their World Championships campaign. Chirag explained that the pairs development is a constant "work in progress," emphasising that they are focusing on small refinements across all aspects of their game rather than major changes. He specifically highlighted defence as a key area for improvement, noting that they strive to evolve and get better regardless of their ranking or past success. It's a work in progress. I think there are plenty of things that I would want to work on, and I wouldn't say even when we became world number one, and we had a really good season, that I was a perfect badminton player. There were plenty of things I wanted to improve on, and similarly now as well there are plenty of things that I want to do better and become really better at defence, he said. The pair will now shift their attention to the Asian Games, where they will look to defend the gold medal they won in Hangzhou in 2022. With the China Masters providing crucial match practice and confidence, Satwik and Chirag will aim to peak once again on the continental stage. (ANI)
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