NEW DELHI: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the star Indian badminton duo, have secured a promising draw for the upcoming Paris Olympics, set to commence on July 26. The pair, aged 23 and 27 respectively, have been seeded third in the tournament.
Satwik and Chirag, who have achieved significant milestones such as winning the Thomas Cup and Commonwealth Games gold in 2022, are regarded as strong contenders for the gold medal in Paris.
They have been placed in group C, where their most formidable challenge will come from the Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, currently ranked sixth in the world, reported PTI.
In addition to the Indonesian duo, Satwik and Chirag will face competition from the German pair of Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel, ranked 31st in the world, and the French combination of Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar, who hold the 43rd position in the global rankings.
The Indian shuttlers have had a remarkable run leading up to the Olympics, clinching titles at the 2023 Asia Championships, French Open Super 750, and Thailand Open Super 500, while also reaching two more finals in 2024.
The men's doubles draw was initially postponed on Friday due to a Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) hearing concerning the number of pairs to be included.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) was ordered by CAS to recommend the inclusion of the French pair, Corvée-Labar, to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
As a result, the men's doubles draw was revised to feature 17 pairs instead of the original 16 that had qualified.
