Indian Pair to Face Indonesian, German, and French Opponents in Men’s Doubles Badminton Competition
Paris, France – World Championships bronze medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have been placed in Group C for the men’s doubles badminton competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The draw was held on Monday at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Ranked third in the world, the Indian pair were seeded for the draw. Group C includes the formidable Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, currently ranked world No. 6. This group also features the German duo of Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel, ranked 31st globally, and the French pair Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar, ranked 43rd.
Satwik and Chirag have a favorable 3-2 head-to-head record against Alfian and Ardianto, having last defeated them at the Korea Open 2023. The Indian duo remains unbeaten against their German and French group-stage opponents, bolstering their confidence ahead of the competition.
In addition to the men’s doubles draw, other Indian shuttlers received their group stage assignments. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will start her campaign in Group M, while India’s top-ranked men’s singles player HS Prannoy has been drawn in Group K. Both Sindhu and Prannoy are comfortably ranked above their group opponents, with Sindhu being world No. 13 and Prannoy seeded 13th.
Unseeded Lakshya Sen faces a tough challenge in Group L, where he will compete against world No. 3 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia. Sen, the reigning All England champion, has a 4-1 head-to-head record against Christie, providing some hope for a strong performance.
In the women’s doubles category, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa have been drawn in Group C. They will face the fourth-seeded Japanese pair of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida.
The Paris 2024 Olympics promises to be an exciting event for Indian badminton, with several players positioned for a strong showing in their respective categories.