Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty go down fighting in men’s doubles quarterfinals at Paris Olympics | Paris Olympics 2024 News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the Indian badminton duo, suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the men’s doubles quarterfinal at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
The pair, who entered the tournament as strong contenders for the gold medal, faced Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia, the world number 3 pair.

Despite winning the first game convincingly with a score of 21-13, Satwik and Chirag were unable to maintain their momentum.The Malaysian duo fought back valiantly, claiming the second game 21-14 and forcing a deciding third game.
In a closely contested battle, Chia and Yik ultimately prevailed, winning the final game 21-16 and securing their spot in the semifinals.
The loss marked the end of the Olympic journey for the Indian pair, who had previously triumphed at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. As the reigning champions in both events, their early exit from the Paris Games came as a disappointing blow to their medal aspirations.
The Malaysian duo will face a formidable challenge in their upcoming match against the top-seeded pair, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China, who currently hold the world number one ranking.