New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS): The Indian men's doubles badminton duo of Satwik and Chirag expressed their joy of reuniting with Tan Kim Her as a coach and revealed their emotional bond with the Malaysian doubles specialist, who was the person behind the making of the "deadly duo" of Satwik and Chirag back in 2016.
Tan took over from Danish Olympic medallist Mathias Boe, who announced his retirement from coaching roles post the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Satwik and Chirag reached the quarterfinals.
Speaking about the return of the Malaysian doubles specialist, who had a successful four-year spell from 2015 to 2019 with the Indian shuttlers, at the India Open pre-tournament press conference, Chirag said, "The approach is a lot more different than it was in 2016 because right now, we are quite established on the world tour. Back then it was a lot more directional; now it's a lot more conversational, where we discuss what needs to be done."
Talking about the bond the two shuttlers had developed with coach Tan during his first stint, Satwik said, "I think you need to have a bond with the coach. So, the first thing when he made 'Me and Chirag' everyone knows it was very comfortable... We used to call him 'Daddy' because he made us. He's back again and we have the same bond now. That is the most important thing as a coach and a player. So, we trust him blindly."
The Indian duo, the former world No.1 in men's doubles, is targeting moving back into the Top 5 in the BWF rankings after missing a major part of the 2024 season following their quarterfinal finish in the Paris Olympics.
Chirag and Satwik made a strong start to the season by reaching the Malaysia Open Super 1000 semifinal last week. But the Indians, who became the first Indian men's doubles pair to attain the BWF ranking summit are currently ranked ninth and have set their eyes on improving the rankings and winning some major tournaments.
After their disappointing quarterfinal exit at the Paris Olympics, Sawik and Chirag took a break, and their return was further postponed due to Rankireddy’s shoulder injury. As a result, they missed several top-tier tournaments, causing their world ranking to fall.
The men's doubles duo will next be in action in the India Open, a BWF Super 750 tournament, where they are seeded seventh and began their campaign against the Malaysian pair of Wei Chong Man and Kai Wun Tee.
Speaking on the sidelines of the official presser on Monday, Chirag told IANS about the plans for the 2025 season. "Obviously to do even better than 2024. We want to get back into the top five first and win the major tournaments where we haven't meddled."
The Indians have triumphed in nearly every major tournament, but the prestigious All-England Open remains an event where they have yet to showcase their full potential.
"The All-England is, obviously, for all badminton athletes, a huge event. This is one of the major events, and everybody wants to win it. And likewise for both me and Satwik, I also want to perform well at the All England. It's one of the tournaments that we've not meddled at, and I hope this time we can change that," Chirag said.
When asked about an update on Satwik's shoulder and back issues, Chirag explained, "As an athlete, there will always be niggles here and there, and you'll not always be injury-free. I think it goes for all athletes, but right now he (Satwik) is doing quite well, like he said. He's been working; both of us have been working with the same trainer, Ganesh, for the past couple of months now. Overall, the body feels good."
The Hangzhou Asian Games gold medallists Satwik and Chirag, who clinched the India Open title in 2022 and were runners-up in the most recent edition, are aiming to replicate their victory from three years ago when the tournament starts on Tuesday.