Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are gearing up for the Paris Olympics alongside their European counterparts and Thomas Cup champions.
Teaming up with European Championship silver medalists Alexander Dunn and Adam Hall from Scotland and Thomas Cup medalists Ren Agung and Beri Angriawan from Indonesia, Satwik and Chirag will undergo Olympic preparations in Mumbai and Hyderabad. This initiative, spearheaded by Satwik-Chirag and their Danish coach Mathias Boe, has received approval from Sai, with an estimated cost of approximately Rs 6.5 lakh.
Satwik and Chirag, Dunn and Hall, will train in Mumbai from June 22 to 30, opting to train domestically rather than abroad. Subsequently, they will join forces with Agung and Angriawan in Hyderabad from July 5 to 20 before heading to Paris for the Olympics. While Boe initially proposed training with a Korean pair, negotiations fell through due to the hefty financial demands, prompting the selection of the Indonesian pair at a more feasible cost.
In Hyderabad, three sparring partners from Indonesia have been enlisted to facilitate training sessions for the badminton players. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, Satwik and Chirag had to readjust their preparations after their initial training partners returned home. Nevertheless, the duo remains focused and determined as they embark on their journey towards Olympic success.
