Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 17: Chirag Shetty has revealed that becoming the world's top-ranked men's doubles badminton player was never his priority during the Asian Games, saying his sole focus was on winning the gold medal.
Speaking in an upcoming episode of the Quest Talk podcast by iQOO, Chirag recalled that he only learned about reaching the World No. 1 ranking after the semifinal, when his coach shared the news.
"Our coach told me, 'You've become World No. 1.' I told him, 'Don't tell me that. I don't care about being World No. 1 right now. I just want to win the tournament.' Winning the title and becoming World No. 1 at the same time made it one of the most memorable moments of my career," he said.
Reflecting on the celebrations after the final, Chirag described the emotional atmosphere as organisers played the Hindi song Jai Ho in China.
"After the final, they played a Hindi song. We started dancing on the court, and I even threw my T-shirt into the crowd. Celebrating a victory like that outside India, with people playing music from your country, is an unforgettable feeling," he said.
The 27-year-old also opened up about the physical challenges he faced during the tournament, revealing that he had been suffering from influenza throughout the competition.
"I had a very high fever a day before one of my matches. I was so weak that I couldn't even walk to the bathroom properly. Even today, I don't know how I managed to play," Chirag said.
Although becoming World No. 1 had always been one of his childhood ambitions, he said the achievement quickly gave way to fresh responsibilities.
"As a child, I always dreamed of becoming World No. 1. But the very next day, I realised there was another tournament to prepare for. The journey never really stops," he said.
Chirag added that sustained success comes from concentrating on consistent effort rather than becoming fixated on rankings or titles.
"I always tell people not to chase the end result. Success is a by-product of the work you put in. The satisfaction of giving your best and improving every day lasts much longer than simply winning a title," he said.