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Journalism of Courage
It might feel like the tough times keep hitting in waves. Injuries, lost finals, tricky opponents — Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had been taking them on bravely all of last year. But a bereavement when Satwik’s father passed away, was terribly tragic and so sudden that badminton would’ve been the last thing on their minds. Like he always has, Satwik found Chirag by his side right away, as the Mumbaikar flew out to Amalapuram in the days after the funeral. And stayed put to check on his younger partner, who had shared a very close bond with his father Kasi Viswanatham.
Their second match at the All England ended in a retirement after 16-21, 2-2 against Chinese Xie Hao Nan and Zeng Wei Han, as Chirag’s back flared up, though it had been bothering him for a while.
Chirag said he played while wearing a brace. “I had some pain from yesterday’s match. I have been wearing a brace for the past week on my disc but it increased during yesterday’s first game actually. It was quite unbearable for me to move around,” Chirag was quoted as saying by PTI.
Satwik said Chirag informed him about the back issue before Thursday’s game. “Tough times, I felt we are in a very comfortable position. Even he (Chirag) was trying from the first day but he didn’t tell me, so we he was playing with the pain.”
Late on Wednesday night, Satwik had put away a winner at the net against a tricky Danish pair Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard to win 21-17, 21-15. He had looked up with a pointed finger and clenched fist as commentator Gill Clark commiserated, “That look for Satwik, needs no words.”
“It’s tough, but that’s how life is,” Satwik had told BWF after the match. “It wasn’t expected.”
A retired Physical Education teacher, Viswanatham and his wife were traveling from their hometown Amalapuram en route to Delhi when he suffered a cardiac arrest. Satwik spoke on Wednesday about the support he has received from Chirag. “Even during such hard times, he was there for me. He came to my hometown, we practiced there a bit, and for that I’m thankful to him. He was there during my injury period too (last season post-Paris 2024); his parents came down and our coach also came down to my hometown. My father always wanted to bring them there.”
That Chirag and Satwik share a deeper bond beyond their partnership on court is well established now. Speaking to The Indian Express last year, Satwik explained how Chirag stepped up last year when he was going through a bit of physical and mental crisis due to injuries and rehab. “It was during this period I realised the value of doubles badminton. You are teammates not just on the court, but off it too. Chirag supported me and motivated me to play.
He stood by my side like a rock,” Satwik had said.
Chirag had rich praise for his partner too in Birmingham. “Credit to Satwik, what he’s gone through and how he’s come back and decided to play here, nobody could do that. Kudos to him, he’s a strong-willed person to come out of it, and keep it all aside, because that’s what his dad would’ve wanted him to do. I’m proud to be his partner.”
At the start of the first match, commentator Clark also made a brief remark about Satwik’s return to action. “Quite remarkable that Satwik is here in Birmingham, he is mourning the death of his father at the end of last month. Great courage to come here despite the family bereavement, certainly all of us send our deepest condolences to Satwik and his family.”
The match in itself ended up being a rather feisty affair, with plenty of mini twists and turns despite the scoreline being straightforward. In the first game, the Indians saw their opponents mount a fightback from 4-9 down to 11-10 but recovered after the mid-game interval. In the 2nd game, the Danes had a 14-10 lead but SatChi went on a tear, winning 9 straight points to eventually close it out without needing a decider.
Chirag was also involved in an animated chat with the chair umpire at the end of the match. During the second game, there seemed to be a couple of instances when one of the Danish players stepped out of the court for a quick hydration break when the Indians were rattling along, which didn’t sit well with Chirag. “I am just honestly telling you as a player, this is not right,” Chirag was heard saying as he shook hands with the official, as Satwik came along to whisk away.
