New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) Star Indian shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Thursday pulled out of their men’s doubles title defence at next week’s Badminton Asia Championships with the former recuperating from a shoulder injury.
Last April, Satwik and Chirag, currently ranked world number one, had made history by breaking a 58-year-old drought as they became the first Indians after Dinesh Khanna to be crowned champions at the Asia Badminton Championships in Dubai.
Dinesh Khanna had achieved the rare feat of winning gold in 1965.
However, Satwik and Chirag, who have been in rollicking form this season, having won the French Open Super 750 and finishing runner-up in two finals, on Thursday decided to opt out of the tournament.
“It is not a new injury, it is something which happens due to overuse of shoulder and Satwik is already on road to recovery. They are still training but the intensity is little less. So, looking at the bigger picture, they decided to withdraw,” a source in the know of things told
Source: PTI News
