Badminton pohots

Indonesia Open Super: India’s top-ranked men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, kept the country’s hopes alive at the prestigious Indonesia Open Super 1000 with a determined opening-round win on Tuesday. Against the home favourites, Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana, the Indian duo showed composure and grit, bouncing back from a game down to secure an 18-21, 21-18, 21-14 victory in 67 minutes.

Their win comes as a timely boost for the Indian contingent, with top singles players Lakshya Sen and H.S. Prannoy exiting early in Jakarta. Satwik and Chirag, who have consistently led India’s doubles revolution over the past couple of seasons, showed why they remain one of the strongest contenders in the tournament. After a slow start, they upped their intensity in the second game and dominated the decider with powerful smashes and intelligent net play.

“We knew it wouldn’t be easy against an Indonesian pair on their home turf,” Chirag said after the win. “But we stuck to our plan and trusted our rhythm. The crowd was loud, but we used that energy to push ourselves.”