New Delhi: Star Men’s Doubles of India Badminton pair Chirag Shetty And Satok Sairaj Rankireddyended a 742-day wait for a BWF World Tour title by winning the Singapore Open. The former world No. 1 pair bounced back from a game down by defeating Indonesia’s Fajr Alfian and Mohammad Shoaib Fikri 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 in the final. It was his third Super 750 title and a reward after a difficult stint that included injuries, four finals losses and eight semi-final exits.Despite not winning a title for over two years, Chirag dismissed suggestions that the pair had fallen out.Chirag said, “I wouldn’t call it inconsistency. I think we were pretty consistent on the contrary. To call number three in the world inconsistent, I think everyone beyond number one should stop playing badminton.”He explained that injuries and time away from competition affected his rhythm, not his quality. The pair fell to world No. 27 in June 2025 and climbed back to No. 3 by November.“Yeah, obviously, everybody goes on the court to win. So for us, we wanted to go out there and win the title. But it wasn’t that we weren’t capable of it, and it wasn’t that we were playing badly or anything. It’s just that maybe some days the luck wasn’t on our side.”Stouk also described injuries as a major challenge but said they were a normal part of the elite game. “It’s part of the game,” he said. It’s not like nobody got hurt.After winning the Singapore Open, the pair expressed disappointment at not focusing on their badminton achievements, including India’s Thomas Cup bronze medal. Chirag welcomed the increased coverage but said the sport deserved regular recognition.Both also credited coaches Mathias Bo and Tan Kim Heer for helping them with match planning and strategy preparation. With the World Championships and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics on the way, confidence is high.“On a good day, we can beat anybody,” Stok said.For now, the duo is focused on maintaining their form, Chirag said: “Right now it’s going well.
