Fitter Satwiksairaj-Chirag turn up heat ahead of Paris stint
After an injury-disrupted year, Satwiksairaj-Chirag have finally declared that they are confident of regaining their best form in the World Championships from Aug 25-31 in Paris.
The hard-hitting pair have somewhat gone under the radar in the build up to the world meet after struggling for rhythm and consistency since the Paris Olympics last August.
The Hangzhou Asian Games champions Satwiiksairaj-Chirag were considered one of the favourites for gold in the Paris Games but were stopped by Malaysia's eventual bronze medallists Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in the quarter-finals.
The Indians are hoping for a better outcome when they return to the same venue – the Adidas Arena in Port de la Chapelle – for the world meet.
'It was quite difficult after the Olympics. I was injured, my trainer changed, it became a new circle,' said Satwiksairaj in an interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
'We played well in a few semi-finals, then we had a few personal issues and injuries. So there was no rhythm.
'Overall if you look back, we are on the right track. We're doing everything right. We just need to believe. It's just a matter of time. Once we play tournaments continuously, we'll be there,' added Satwiksairaj.
Satwiksairaj-Chirag, who are now coached by Malaysian Tan Kim Her, have not reached a final since winning the Thailand Open last May but have showed glimpses of their best selves when they made it into the last four of the Opens in Malaysia, India, Singapore and China this year.
The duo believe they can rediscover the form that made them a formidable pair if they can remain injury-free.
'We have to get fit 100%. We haven't played without injury for the last one year, we've been playing with niggles,' said Satwiksairaj.
'We need to be healthy all the time, and not think too far ahead.
'Once we're healthy, we can do well. Injuries have been restricting our game.'
Chirag said: 'It will take some time for us to get back to our best. We are still not at our 100% yet. With each passing day, we're feeling better.
'There's still a long way to go. I wouldn't say we are at our best yet.'
Satwiksairaj-Chirag will be India's best bet for a medal in the world meet.
The pair's best showing in the prestigious event so far came in the 2022 edition in Tokyo where they won bronze.
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