Badminton
Tokyo Olympics: Badminton Day 3, July 26 - Satwik/Chirag vs Marcus Gideon/Kevin Sukamuljo - Preview, LIVE streaming, schedule, where to watch
Placed in the Group of Death, Satwik-Chirag will hope to continue their fantastic run at the Tokyo Olympics as they take on The Minions.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty at the Tokyo Olympics (Source: Getty)
Playing an edge-of-the-seat thriller on Day 1 of the Tokyo Olympics, the dynamic World No. 10 duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty got off to a brilliant start to their debut campaign. Touted to be the dark horses in the badminton event, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty showed that they have quite a few tricks up their sleeves as they handed the World No. 3 pair of Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin a shock defeat.
Having braved past the Chinese Taipei pair, 21-16, 16-21, 27-25, the ninth-seeded duo of Satwik-Chirag will have to encounter the most difficult opponents on the tour in their next match. Set to cross paths with World No. 1 Indonesian pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, Satwik-Chirag will need more than just their skills to get through in this Group A Play Stage match-up.
Although Satwik-Chirag were able to bring a 15-match winning streak of Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin to a drastic end in their debut match at the Tokyo Olympics, with Marcus Gideon/Kevin Sukamuljo a.k.a. 'The Minions' things would hardly be that comfortable. For starters, the Minions enjoy an overwhelming lead in their head to head, having won every one of the 8 encounters they have already had and have only gifted one game to the Indian duo, so far. As they head towards a merry 9 at the stage of the Olympics, it will be the onus of Satwik-Chirag to get a digit on the board.
Oozing confidence in their game and clearly enjoying the mood of the match as was evident from their loud cries after winning every point in the cliffhanger of a battle, Satwik-Chirag will be riding on that high and hope to continue their streak of upsetting higher-ranked opponents. With this not being a knockout stage match yet, Satwik-Chirag can ease themselves up and give it their best and not let the pressure get to them. They will have to face-off against British combine of Sean Vendy and Ben Lane next, as well.
But let's not forget that the Satwik-Chirag we saw at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza is a revamped one courtesy of Danish coach and 2012 London Olympics silver medallist Mathias Boe's guidance. Just like they played with a clear strategy in their match against the World No. 3 pair, it is only expected that Satwik-Chirag will have fresh tricks to bring to the table as they square off against the most formidable pair from Indonesia. Surviving the matches in the 'Group of Death' draw is no mean task but the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallists are not be underestimated here.
Schedule and When to Watch?
The venue for all badminton events at the Tokyo Olympics is going to be the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza where all the on-court action is expected to unfurl.
Men's Singles - Group A Play Stage
Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo [1] v Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty [9] not before 9:10 AM IST on July 26, 2021
Live Streaming and Where to Watch?
You can catch all the action LIVE on Sony Sports Network channels in India. You can also live stream it on the Sony LIV application or website if you have the required subscription. Alternatively, you can also watch the match on Doordarshan (DD) Sports in India.
Here are the details of broadcasters in some more countries:
Japan: The Japan Consortium
USA: NBC Universal
UK: BBC, Eurosport
China: CCTV
Australia: Seven Network
Germany: ARD-ZDF
Brazil: Grupo Globo, Bandsports
Spain: RTVE
Italy: RAI
France: Eurosport
South Africa: SABC
