Badminton
Satwik/Chirag return to career best world rank 5, PV Sindhu slips further
Asian champion duo of Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty returned to world rank 5 while PV Sindhu slipped to world rank 12.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty after winning the men's doubles title at the Badminton Asia Championships 2023. (Source: Badminton Asia)
Indian badminton duo of Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty jumped one spot to reach world rank 5 in men's doubles after their Asian triumph and retained their career-best ranking in the latest released rankings by BWF on Tuesday.
The duo created history by becoming the first Indian doubles pair to win the Asian Championships title and bringing home the Asian title after 58 years since Dinesh Khanna won it in 1965.
The 2022 World Championships bronze medallists pair scripted a sensational comeback after an opening game reversal to edge past the Malaysian combination of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi 16-21, 21-17, 21-19 in a nail-biting final to accomplish a magnificent feat in the continental championship.
In women's singles, PV Sindhu remained out of the top 10 slipping to world rank 12 and Saina Nehwal dropped down to 36th after pulling out of Badminton Asia Championships.
HS Prannoy remained India's top-ranked men's singles player with a world rank of 9. Despite a first-round exit at Badminton Asia Championships, Lakshya Sen moved up to 23rd and Kidambi Srikanth moved to 22nd.
Among other doubles pairs, MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila gained four places to move to 23rd in men's doubles while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand moved to 17th in women's doubles.
The rankings are going to play a pivotal role with the Olympic qualification cycle started on 1st May 2023.
