Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty scripted a piece of badminton history as they became the first Indian doubles pair to be ranked No. 1 in the Badminton World Federation Rankings. Satwik and Chirag rose to the No. 1 spot in men’s doubles rankings after their sensational Gold medal-winning run at the recently-concluded Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty rose 2 spots to become No. 1 in the men’s doubles rankings in the latest update released on Tuesday, October 10. Satwik and Chirag are now ahead of Indonesia’s Fajar Alfan and Muhammad Ardianto and the Chinese pair of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.
Satwik and Chirag have become only the 4th Indian badminton player/pair to be ranked No. 1 in the BWF rankings. Legendary Prakash Padukone was No.1 in men’s singles rankings in 1980 after which Saina Nehwal reached the summit in the women’s singles rankings in 2015. Kidambi Srikanth was the last Indian player to be ranked No. 1 – in 2018 in men’s singles.
Satwik and Chirag now have 2282 points more than the second-ranked pair in men’s doubles rankings.
Satwik and Chirag etched their names in the annals of history by clinching a gold medal in the men’s doubles event at the Asian Games 2023 last week.
Satwik and Chirag have clinched some memorable victories in the past, including the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold, the 2022 Thomas Cup title, and a bronze at the 2022 World Championships. The year 2023 has been particularly fruitful for them, with victories at the Asia Championships, Indonesia Super 1000, Korea Super 500, and Swiss Open Super 300.
Their triumph at the Asian Games, however, stands out as a historic milestone. It is India’s first-ever badminton gold at the Asian Games, a feat that has eluded the country since the sport was included in the Games’ roster.
Satwik and Chirag defeated Choi Sol Guy and Kim Won Ho of South Korea in straight games in the final to win Gold in the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
