Hope Chirag-Satwiksairaj spar with players from other countries in Tokyo: Coach

Men`s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (right) during the 2019 Indonesia Open at Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta. PIC/Getty Images

Shuttler Chirag Shetty's coach, Uday Pawar is confident that his ward and Shetty's partner Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have the potential to be among the top three doubles pairs in the world within the next three to four years.

Ex-India player Pawar, who trained Shetty since he was a kid, felt that the fearless quality in the duo stands out.

"The main reason why they have done well is because they are fearless and have the hunger to do better. They have got better with each tournament and are never complacent. If both continue the same level of improvement, they can be in the top three of the world rankings in the next three to four years," Pawar told mid-day.com.

"Of the current combinations in the Top 10, two or three are in the older age group and some of them will fade away in the coming years," Pawar added.

Chirag Shetty with his mentor Uday Pawar and his wife Sujata after receiving the Arjuna Award last year

However, Pawar felt the Tokyo Olympics will be a stiff challenge for the World No. 10 pair, who are placed in a tough group. The Indian duo are in Group A and will have to compete against the top-seeded Indonesian pair of Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon, Chinese Taipei's World No 3 Lee Yang and Wang Chi Lin and English duo Ben Lane and Sean Vendy, who are ranked 18. At the Games, the top two teams in the group go through to the quarter-finals.

"They [Chirag-Satwiksairaj] have a tough draw and their group is the toughest. The World No. 1 pair are strong medal contenders, the English pair are doing well internationally. For them to reach the quarters, they have to win two of the three matches in the group stage. Their target should be winning against the England and Chinese Taipei pair. I hope they spar with players from other countries. What they have missed out during COVID-19 is that little match sharpness which they will get by sparring."

Meanwhile, Pawar, who runs an academy at the Goregaon Sports Club, said having London Olympics silver medallist Mathias Boe as the coach of the Indian badminton doubles team is surely an advantage. "Before the pandemic, they didn't have a doubles coach. During a match, when you play against top combinations, you need a coach to guide you with his/her tactical inputs. They [tactics] keep changing after every four-five points. Boe's presence is vital as he can guide them as to when they need to avoid playing to their opponents' strengths. Their [coaches] knowledge and mental alertness during the match comes in handy. Boe played at the top level so he is aware of the current tactical strategies. He has played against the very people who are at the Olympics," explained Pawar who felt that the attacking duo of Chirag-Satwiksairaj will have a better chance of doing well in Tokyo if the conditions are faster.

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