It’s a rude shock: Shuttler Chirag Shetty

Shuttler Chirag Shetty says cancellation of Malaysia, Singapore Open has made it difficult for him and partner Satwiksairaj Rankireddy to prepare for Olympics

India's leading doubles shuttler Chirag Shetty, who is preparing for the Tokyo Olympics with partner Satwiksairaj Rankireddy at the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad, has said that the cancellations of the Malaysia Open (May 25 to 30) and Singapore Open (June 1-6) have come as a shock to them. 

“We had been training for almost two months for these events. And then to suddenly learn that they will not be held [because of the Covid-19 situation] came as a rude shock. In April, the India Open [May 11 to 16], one of the last three qualifying events for the Olympics, was also postponed but that was expected. But now, with these cancellations, it’s difficult to stay calm and focused given the uncertainty of the situation. This will be my first Olympics but personally, I will believe that my Olympic dream has come true only after I reach the Games village. Till then, nothing can be said,” Chirag, a Goregaon resident, told mid-day on Friday.

Top form in 2018

Chirag and Satwik were in top form in 2018, winning the mixed team gold and a silver medal in men’s doubles at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. In 2019, they won the French Open doubles title and finished runner-up at the Brazil International. However, the onset of the pandemic has hampered things since 2020.

India’s World No. 10 ranked pair have decided to take the help of a psychologist to retain their mental toughness. “There are just two months to go for the Olympics and with no tournaments happening, it’s going to be very difficult. Be it the No.1 pair or the 16th seeds, everyone will find it tough to directly go for the Tokyo Games. After I return to Hyderabad from my break, we have decided to consult a psychologist for a month and if that works for us, we shall continue that till the Olympics,” added Chirag, 23, who is currently in the city on a week-long break before resuming training in Hyderabad.

The shuttler felt that the appointment of Denmark’s doubles veteran Mathias Boe, a silver medallist in men’s doubles at the 2012 London Olympics, as full-time coach has brought about a huge change. “I have worked with him [with Pune7Aces team during the Premier Badminton League] even before he was appointed as our coach. I trained with him in Mumbai at the Goregaon Sports Club during the lockdown [October and November]. He has helped improve my presence of mind on court,” said Chirag, who has had his share of grief caused by the Coronavirus.

‘A huge personal loss’

“I lost my maternal grandfather [Jaya Shetty] three weeks ago. It was a huge personal loss. A normal funeral was not possible and one of my uncles could not attend it as he contracted the virus. The best way to deal with this situation is by training hard and trying to shut out the negativity,” concluded Chirag.

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