New Delhi, Aug 7:
India’s men’s doubles coach Tan Kim Her on Wednesday said Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s recurring shoulder injury remains the biggest concern ahead of the BWF World Championships, even as he backed the former world No. 1 pair to challenge for the title if they remain mentally strong.
Satwik and Chirag, bronze medallists at the 2022 and 2025 World Championships, head into this year’s edition after missing a few tournaments because of Satwik’s shoulder injury.
The Asian Games gold medallists, who returned to winning ways with the Singapore Open Super 750 title in June, have received a first-round bye as one of the seeded combinations.
“His shoulder is almost fully recovered now. He is ready now,” Tan told a select group of reporters on the sidelines of the draw ceremony for the World Championships, which begin here on August 17.
“He has gone under rehab. I think now he is improving a lot. Of course, the rehab is still there but he is getting much better. Chirag is fully 100 per cent fit.”
However, the Malaysian coach admitted that Satwik’s shoulder, which has troubled him since suffering a tear several years ago, continues to be a worry.
“Last year they had 8 semifinals and 2 finals. I think the results were quite cons istent. And this year, Singapore has been the best tournament. Game-wise they are getting better now. Confidence? Okay. But what’s bothering them is the injury. That’s what’s bothering me and them also.
“So this one, especially for Satwik. His shoulder… he already had the tear. So it’s on and off. So hopefully this time he can overcome. This is my concern. Other than that, both of them are very committed, very disciplined. But injury there, we cannot do anything.”
Tan also pointed out that the b igger challenge after Satwik’s layoff would be regaining competitive rhythm.
“After Satwik-Chirag won the Singapore Open, the confidence was very good. But after that they had a break again. So the preparation now is good but the important part is the confidence. Mentally he has been out for almost one month plus. So whether he can get the rhythm back, that’s very important.”
The coach, however, believes the Indian pair has the quality to beat any opponent if they remain mentally strong.
“On that day, if Satwik-Chirag is in good form, they can beat anyone. But I’m telling them, I want them to go through the psychology. For them, the important part is self-confidence. Mentally prepared.
“If they’re mentally strong, they can beat anyone, as we saw in the Singapore Open. But if they’re mentally not strong, they can lose to anyone,” Tan said.
The 54-year-old Malaysian said he has consistently reminded the pair not to chase every title but to peak before for the biggest events.
“I always tell them, we have to pick at the right time. We cannot win every tournament. The important part is the major tournament. We try to hit the major tournament.”
With the World Championships to be followed by the Asian Games, where Satwik and Chirag will defend their title, Tan said handling pressure would be crucial.
“This is the part of life. As an athlete, you have to face. Mentally, you need to stay strong. Just try to pick and focus more on this major tournament, this World Championship, and this Asian Games.”
Tan said the Indian pair must avoid getting carried away by expectations and instead focus on one match at a time.
“Sometimes you’re under pressure, it’s something like, you go, you have to win, you have to win. So I told them, stay one match at one time. Expectation is high,” he said.
“During Olympic time, everyone expected them to win a medal. The expectation was too high. It’s how you manage, it’s how you handle yourself.”
Asked about the highly competitive nature of men’s doubles, Tan said consistency has become increasingly difficult because of the pace of the discipline.
“Only the Korean pair (Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae) has been very consistent. Satwik-Chirag are also among the more consistent pairs because they play fewer tournaments. Others are playing 18-19 tournaments and it’s very difficult.”
He felt service and return of serve now decide most matches.
“It’s a very fast game. Service and receiving service are very important. If your service is good, you can say 60 per cent of your game is already there. If your service is not good, then you’re gone,” said Tan, who had worked with the Japanese national team as men’s doubles coach, guiding world No. 4 Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi to the world title in 2021.
Comparing India with reigning world champions from South Korea, Tan said: “Attack-wise we are good. Service and receiving are also quite okay. But defensively, the Koreans are much better. In Singapore we controlled the game and attacked more, so we had a good chance to win.”
Satwik and Chirag had defeated Kim and Seo in the semifinals of Singapore Open in May.