 "The Satwik-Chirag pair on Monday became the first Indian men's doubles badminton pair to qualify for the quarter-finals of an Olympics. AP")
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Monday became the first Indian men’s doubles pair to qualify for the quarter-finals of an Olympics. The duo qualified for the last eight at the Paris Olympics 2024 after the French pair of Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar lost to Indonesia’s Muhammad Rian Adrianto and Fajar Alfian in a group stage match.
The Satwik-Chirag pair were due to face ermany’s Mark Lamsfuss and Marvil Seidel on Monday, which would have been their second Group C match of the tournament. However, that game was cancelled after Lamsfuss withdrew due to an injury.
As per BWF General Competition Regulations for group-stage play, the results of all matches played, or yet to be played, involving Lamsfuss and Seidel will be considered ”deleted”. Any points from matches played against the Germans will not be counted.
As a result, the Group C of the men’s doubles competition will be considered as a three-pair affair, with the duos of Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar of France and Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Fajar Alfian of Indonesia being the other two.
Asian Games champions Satwik-Chirag and the Indonesian pair have won a match each — both against Frenchmen Corvee and Labar who, thus, have been eliminated after suffering two losses. Since two teams each from the four groups qualify for the quarterfinals, Satwik-Chirag and Ardianto-Alfian pairs have qualified for the quarterfinals.
On Tuesday, the Satwik-Chirag duo faces the pair of Ardianto-Alfian to decide who tops the group.
The draw for the knock-out round of the men’s doubles will be held on Wednesday, the BWF said. Earlier, the BWF announced the withdrawal of German duo of Lamsfuss and Seidel from the competition.
”German men’s doubles player Mark Lamsfuss has withdrawn from the Olympic Games Paris 2024 badminton competition due to a knee injury,” the BWF said.
”Lamsfuss’ and teammate Marvin Seidel’s remaining Group C matches against India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (Court 3, 8.30am local time, 29 July 2024) and Lucas Corvee/Ronan Laaiod bar of France (Court 1, ’Not Before’ 2.50pm local time, 30 July 2024) will not be played,” it added.
Due to the withdrawal of the German pair, the Indonesians’ win over Lamsfuss and Seidel on Saturday was also deleted. Satwik and Chirag had opened their campaign with a 21-17 21-14 win over the French combination of Corvee and Labar on Saturday.
With PTI inputs