Doubles stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty kept India’s proud run alive at the BWF World Championships, extending the country’s medal streak at the event that dates back to 2011.

On Friday, August 29, in Paris, the World No. 9 pair produced a breathtaking display of fearless, attacking badminton to stun their familiar rivals — second seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia — in the quarterfinals.

With the win, Satwik and Chirag secured at least a bronze, their second Worlds medal after the 2022 podium finish. But this one carried an extra edge: it came against the very duo who had dashed their Olympic dreams in Paris just a year ago. By turning heartbreak into triumph, the Indians booked their semifinal spot in style — and with a sweet sense of revenge.

It will be India’s only medal at the World Championships this year after PV Sindhu suffered a heartbreaking loss in the quarterfinal to Putri Wardani of Indonesia in the women’s singles quarter-finals earlier in the day. The mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also fell short in the last-eight round, falling one step short of a historic medal.

More to follow.

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