Satwik-Chirag cap a superb year with historic Asiad gold
Hindustan TimesSatwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered Court 1 of BJ Gymnasium here to a welcome befitting the rockstars and 57 minutes later -- with Shetty having flung his sweaty t-shirt to an adoring crowd and both players having dispensed with their racquets deep into the stands -- they were dancing to the tune of Bollywood hit 'Dangal.' Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy pose for photos during the presentation ceremony after winning the men's doubles gold Their 21-18, 21-16 win also ended India's 41-year wait for an Asiad medal in men's doubles, the last success coming in the form of a bronze by the pair of Leroy D’Sa and Pradeep Gandhe in the 1982 edition. The Koreans, against whom the Indian pair had a 2-0 H2H record coming into the final, took the early initiative and sped to an 8-4 lead that became 11-9 going into the first mid-game interval. There was no drift either, which meant the shuttle was always in play and the shots came really hard at you," national coach Pullela Gopichand said. In badminton's 61-year existence at the Asian Games, the sight of an Indian flag going on top was a first, but given Satwik-Chirag's growing pedigree, it was always a matter of when more than if.