Hyderabad:In a historic feat, the Indian men's doubles badminton duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have reached the pinnacle of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Rankings, making them the first Indian pair to achieve this milestone.
The Badminton Association of India(BAI) made the historic announcement on Tuesday by posting on their social media handle, X. "On the top of the world! First Indian pair to achieve this feat," the post read.
The accomplishment for the duo, popularly known as 'Sat-chi', comes after they won the gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, where they defeated South Korea's Choi Sol-Gyu and Kim Won-ho in a thrilling final.
The year 2023 has been truly remarkable for Satwik and Chirag. They etched their names in history by becoming the first Indians in 58 years to seize victory at the Asian Championships in March. Despite initial setbacks in the Sudirman Cup, Thailand Open, and Singapore Open, they bounced back to claim titles at the Indonesia Super 1000, Korea Super 500, and Swiss Open Super 300.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty embarked on their successful journey in 2022. They have clinched five BWF World Tour titles, including the Indian Open, French Open, Swiss Open, Indonesia Open, and Korea Open. Their triumph at the Indonesia Open marked a historic moment for India, securing the country's inaugural BWF Super 1000 World Tour title in men's doubles.
Their success reverberated at the Commonwealth Games, where they achieved gold in the men's doubles category. Additionally, they secured a well-deserved bronze medal at the World Championships in Dubai, marking India's first-ever men's doubles medalists at the event.
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