Gold defence ends in shock as Satwik-Chirag crash out in first round of Asian Games

Defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a stunning first-round exit from the Asian Games men’s doubles competition Friday, surrendering a commanding start to lose 21-12, 19-21, 14-21 against Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun. The defeat ended one of India’s strongest badminton medal prospects at the opening hurdle and brought an abrupt end to the pair’s bid for a second successive Asian Games gold.

The fourth-seeded Indians had arrived in the individual competition after playing a key role in India’s bronze-medal finish in the men’s team event and were expected to mount another serious podium challenge. Instead, they were eliminated in one hour and eight minutes by the world No. 36 Thai combination, whom they had beaten in both their previous meetings.

From domination to defeat

Satwik and Chirag began like defending champions, overwhelming the Thai pair 21-12 in the opening game in just 20 minutes. The Indians controlled the exchanges and appeared on course for a straightforward passage into the round of 16 before the contest changed dramatically in the second game.

Teeraratsakul and Sukphun responded with greater aggression and refused to allow the Indians to establish the same rhythm. Satwik and Chirag remained within touching distance throughout the game, but the Thai pair held their nerve in the closing stages to take it 21-19 in 24 minutes and force a decider.

The momentum had shifted decisively by the third game. The Thai duo opened up an advantage and kept Satwik and Chirag under sustained pressure, with the Indians unable to rediscover the control that had made the first game so one-sided. Teeraratsakul and Sukphun closed out the decider 21-14 in 19 minutes to complete one of the biggest upsets of the badminton competition.

Title defence over in 68 minutes

The defeat was particularly damaging because Satwik and Chirag had entered Aichi-Nagoya as the reigning Asian Games champions. They had made history at Hangzhou in 2023 by winning India’s first Asian Games badminton gold in men’s doubles and arrived in Japan as one of the country’s most established international combinations.

Their form in the team competition had also raised expectations. Satwik and Chirag defeated reigning world champions Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang during India’s semifinal against China, even though the Indian men eventually lost the tie 1-3 and finished with bronze.

Friday’s result therefore represented a dramatic reversal. Satwik and Chirag had been projected to face Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin in the next round and potentially world No. 1 Korean pair Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae in the semifinals, but their individual campaign ended before either contest could materialise.

Thailand overturns 0-2 record

The result was also Thailand’s first victory over the Indian combination. Satwik and Chirag held a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over Teeraratsakul and Sukphun before Friday, although both previous encounters had gone to three games.

The Thai pair had already shown strong form during the team competition and carried that momentum into the individual draw. Against the defending champions, they recovered from a nine-point defeat in the first game and then won two consecutive games under pressure to produce the upset.

For Satwik and Chirag, the Asian Games campaign now ends with a men’s team bronze but without an individual medal. Their unexpected exit leaves India without the pair that had delivered one of the landmark moments of its badminton campaign at the previous Games.