Satwik-Chirag India's lone representative at BWF World Tour Finals
Hangzhou, December 16
The popular Indian men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be the sole representatives of the tricolour in the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals, which will start from Wednesday at Hangzhou, China.
In its eighth edition, the World Tour Finals is the end of the badminton season and the BWF World Tour, in which the top eight players and duos from different categories, as per the Race to World Tour Finals badminton rankings, compete, as per Olympics.com.
Competitions are held across all categories in singles and doubles, and each country is allowed a maximum of two entries for each category.
'Sat-Chi' are currently number three in men's doubles and secured the BWF World Championship bronze medal, their second World Championships medals and two runners-up spots in the Hong Kong Open and the China Masters this year. The star duo was consistent throughout, reaching semifinals in the Malaysia Open, India Open, Singapore Open, China Open and Denmark Open in 2025.
This will be their second appearance in the BWF World Tour Finals after 2021 and are clubbed in Group B alongside China's Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
Satwik-Chirag will kick off their run in the tournament against Paris 2024 silver medallists Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang of China, who enjoy an upper hand over the Indian pair, with seven wins in 10 clashes. Two-time Olympic bronze medallists Aaron and Soh Wooi are also placed in Group B with Sat-Chi.
Group A
Kim Won Ho/Seo Seungjae (KOR)Man Wei Chong/Kai Wun Tee (MAS)Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani (INA)Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Wang Chi-Lin (TPE)Group B
Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik (MAS)Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (IND)Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang (CHN)Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri (INA).
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's a bit disappointing that no singles player could qualify. Our depth in doubles is still not great, but Sat-Chi are carrying the flag high. Wishing them all the luck! They have the game to win the whole thing.
Group B is the group of death! Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian... all top pairs. Their first match against the Chinese silver medalists is crucial. A win there will set the tone. Come on, boys!
Their journey from 2021 to now has been incredible. More power to them! Hoping they bring home the trophy this time. ðŸ¸
As a badminton fan, it's fantastic to see India have a genuine world-class pair in men's doubles. They play with such flair and aggression. Really hope they can overcome their head-to-head record against the Chinese pair.
While we celebrate Sat-Chi, we must ask: what's happening with our singles program? Sindhu's form, Srikanth's consistency... BAI needs to focus on building a pipeline. One pair in the finals shouldn't hide other issues.
The consistency mentioned is key – semis in
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