Badminton
'We have enough left in our tank': Satwik on 2024 Paris Olympics
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy says that he and Chirag Shetty have much left in the tank before the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty with Indonesia Open title. (source: Jio Cinema)
Star Indian shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy says that he and his partner Chirag Shetty have more than enough left in the tank to fire during the Paris Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.
The world no. 1 Indian pair, Satwik and Chirag, regained their top spot after starting the year with consecutive runner-up finishes at the Malaysia Open and India Open.
The duo lost the India Open final last month to the Korean pair Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-Jae, while they went down to the then world no. 1 Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang of China in the Malaysia Open title showdown.
"We don't want to peak right now as we are keeping our best game for the Paris Olympics. There is much more left in our tank and we are coming up with different strategies before the Olympics," Satwik told PTI on Saturday.
"We have a lot of tournaments coming up before the Olympics, including the All England, which is very special for all our team members, where we want to do well. But, in the back of the mind, we are thinking about the Olympics," he added further.
The duo will play only a few selective events before the Olympics, including the All England Open, where they have been seeded the no. 1.
Although Satwik said they won't get carried away by the top seeds tag, they still have a few areas to rectify after their defeats in the final of two back-to-back events.
Satwik and Chirag will enter the 2024 Paris Olympics as India's top medal prospect in badminton given their superb performance in the year 2023, when they won India's maiden gold medal in badminton at the Asian Games apart from the Badminton Asia Championships title.
