The Asian Games champions concluded their campaign with a semifinal finish, falling to Malaysia’s world No. 3 pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-19, 10-21, 18-21.
“Reaching this stage given our training days and the challenges we’ve faced both personally and professionally, to make it to a semifinal, was unexpected,” Chirag stated following the defeat.
“There are many positives to take away. Ideally, we aim for deeper runs and to clinch the title, but reflecting on our last few months, getting back to play a semifinal is an encouraging beginning. We’re headed to Indonesia next.” Satwik and Chirag had encountered difficulties maintaining consistency after the Olympics due to various setbacks.
Following a semifinal finish at the China Open last year, they reached the last four at the Malaysia and India Opens, only to face further health and personal challenges.
Earlier this year, Satwik experienced a significant personal tragedy when he lost his father to cardiac arrest in February.
He also dealt with illness that sidelined him from the Sudirman Cup. Upon returning, Chirag’s back injury recurred during the All England Championships, prematurely ending their campaign in March.
The period away from competition affected their ranking, resulting in a drop from world No. 1 to 27.
“Regaining our ranking was definitely the goal. We weren’t pleased to be at 27, that’s for sure. We were aware of it. The unfortunate breaks we had and a few injuries post-Olympics led to this.
“We didn’t participate in many tournaments, but if you review our performances, we reached the semifinals in whatever we played — a positive sign,” remarked Satwik.
“A key takeaway is that we’re not at our peak yet. Despite this, we’ve managed to defeat some top players and challenge high-level pairs, which boosts our confidence. I believe our best is still to come.” Chirag, who exacerbated his back injury during the All England Championships, underwent a strenuous rehabilitation process.
Satwik recognized the dedication shown by his partner.
“A huge shout-out to Chirag. He has faced a lot in recent months. Last month was particularly tough — I witnessed him putting in the effort day and night. So truly, hats off,” Satwik commented.
“I know he’s still in pain, but he doesn’t show it. That’s how we support each other, and we’re eager to perform well in the upcoming tournaments.”
