Satwik-Chirag get favourable draw for Paris Olympics

IMAGE: IMAGE: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty pose after winning the Thailand Open title earlier this year. Photograph: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Instagram

Star Indian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have received a favourable draw for the Paris Olympics beginning July 26.

Satwik, 23, and Chirag, 27, who claimed the Thomas Cup gold and Commonwealth Games gold in 2022, have been seeded third.

The former world number one pair, considered one of the favourites for the gold medal, has been clubbed in group C where Indonesia's world number six combination of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto will be their toughest opponent.

Satwik and Chirag, who also won the 2023 Asia Championships title before securing the French Open Super 750 and Thailand Open Super 500 titles besides reaching two more finals in 2024, also will have to compete with world No. 31 German combination of Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel and world No. 43 Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar of France in the group.

The men's doubles draw was postponed on Friday due to a Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) hearing over the number of pairs in the draw.

The sport's World governing body had to postpone the draw after CAS ordered BWF to recommend to the International Olympic Committee that Corvée-Labar be included in the Olympic Games.

The inclusion of the French pair made it a revised 17-pair men's doubles draw, instead of the 16 pairs that originally qualified.