Paris Olympics 2024: Satwik-Chirag's medal dream ends after defeat in men's doubles badminton quarterfinal

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's journey at the Paris Olympics came to an end in the quarter-finals of the men's doubles badminton event on Thursday, August 1. The former World No. 1 and Asian Games gold medalists were defeated by the higher-ranked pair of Aaron Chia and Wooi Yik Soh from Malaysia in three games - 21-13, 14-21, 16-21, after a challenging hour and 4 minutes on Court 3 at the La Chappelle Arena in Paris.

Satwik and Chirag, who were considered as one of India's top medal contenders, were unable to live up to expectations despite their dominance in the badminton circuit over the past few years. The Malaysian duo put up a stellar performance in front of a lively crowd, outplaying the Indian pair.

Throughout the match, Satwik and Chirag struggled with errors and seemed unsettled, especially on the slower side of the court. Despite a strong start in the opening game, they were unable to maintain their momentum as Chirag and Aaron controlled the net and kept the rallies short and intense.

The deciding game was tense, with both pairs making mistakes early on. However, Aaron and Soh capitalized on Chirag's errors and took the lead after trailing 10-14. With a final match point, the Malaysians secured their spot in the semi-finals, keeping their hopes alive for Malaysia's first badminton Gold.

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