Daijiworld Media Network - Paris

Paris, Aug 31: India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, secured a bronze medal at the World Championships in Paris after a hard-fought 19-21, 21-18, 12-21 loss to China’s 11th seeds Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi in the semifinals on Saturday.

A day after assuring India of a podium finish, the former world No. 1 duo fell short of becoming the first Indian men’s doubles pair to reach a World Championship final. This marks their second Worlds bronze, following their 2022 success in Tokyo.

The Indians had stunned Malaysia’s two-time Olympic medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the quarterfinals, continuing India’s medal streak at the tournament that began in 2011. However, Chen and Liu’s relentless defence and precision proved too strong in the semifinals.

“We didn’t get really any rhythm… we gave away easy points in the third game,” Chirag admitted after the defeat. Satwik added, “They played with much more confidence and enjoyed the game a little more than us. It’s about mental strength and confidence.”

The opening game saw India take an early 9-3 lead, but the Chinese pair clawed back to win 21-19. India bounced in the second game to take it 21-18, but the decider turned one-way traffic, with China dominating 21-12 to seal the contest.

Despite the setback, Chirag reflected positively on their campaign: “This has been a really good outing… overall a good tournament.” The duo’s season had seen highs and lows, including health setbacks, injuries, and personal loss, but they regrouped to make strong showings at major tournaments like the Indonesia, Singapore, and China Opens.