India’s badminton doubles coach Tan Kim Her has said Satwiksairaj Rankireddy is fully recovered from injury and urged him and partner Chirag Shetty to take the BWF World Championships one match at a time. The championships are scheduled to run from August 17 to 23 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Arena in New Delhi.
The fifth-seeded men’s doubles pair have received an opening-round bye. Their first match will be against either Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle or Thailand’s Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn and Worrapol Thongsa-Nga.
For Rankireddy and Shetty, the home World Championships represent a return to competition after an injury-affected period following their Singapore Open title in May. The pair had round-of-32 exits at the Japan Open in July and the Indonesia Open, with injuries cited in the build-up.
Coach calls for calm approach after Rankireddy recovery
Tan Kim Her said the priority is not to place excessive pressure on the pair as Rankireddy resumes after recovering. He pointed to their Singapore Open victory as their last tournament before the injury interruption and stressed a match-by-match focus for the campaign in New Delhi.
“Do not put too much expectations. We take it one match at a time,” Tan said, adding that focus remains important for the pair.
The coach was positive about the draw but cautioned that the challenge will increase after the opening round. A potential significant test for Rankireddy and Shetty is expected to come against the 12th-seeded Indonesian duo Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin, finalists at the Indonesia Open in June.
Tan also addressed the involvement of former Indian doubles coach Mathias Boe, describing him as operating outside the main coaching staff and more as a friend to the pair. He said Boe is not present at training or during matches and did not offer further detail on his work with Rankireddy and Shetty.
The tournament’s return to India after 17 years adds the element of home support for the Indian contingent. Tan encouraged the players to approach that support positively, play with confidence and enjoy the occasion.
Indian players learn their opening paths in New Delhi
The draw also produced several notable opening assignments for India. Men’s singles player Ayush Shetty, the Asian Championships silver medallist, has been drawn against defending champion and top seed Shi Yuqi of China in the first round. Lakshya Sen, the 2022 World Championships bronze medallist, will face Austria’s Collins Valentine Filimon and could meet second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the pre-quarterfinals.
In women’s singles, PV Sindhu enters the championships after winning the Japan Open last month. The five-time World Championships medallist has avoided world number one An Se Young and defending champion Akane Yamaguchi before the medal rounds, though she could face China’s third seed Wang Zhi Yi in the pre-quarterfinals and Indonesia’s sixth seed Putri Wardani in the last eight.
India’s mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also have an opening-round bye and could meet China’s sixth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui in the round of 16. In women’s doubles, Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly will begin against Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez.
With India targeting multiple medals on home soil, the immediate task for Rankireddy and Shetty is clear: make a settled return, negotiate their opening fixture, and build through the draw one match at a time.
