Chirag Shetty’s victory in the men’s doubles at the Thailand Open Badminton Championships on Sunday night, in tandem with Saatwiksai Reddy, made the nation proud. The two were first Indian pair to bag a Super Series 300 title.
But closer home, the victory marked a personal milestone for Chirag’s father Chandrasekhar Shetty. “Even in my dreams, I did not think he would be so successful,” Mr. Shetty told The Hindu , during a chat at the Uday Pawar Badminton Academy, Goregaon Sports Club (GSC).
From the start, Mr. Shetty, who works in the hotel industry, was sure that he would want his children (Chirag’s sister Arya also plays badminton) to take up an individual, rather than a team sport.
“I did not want him to be playing a team game, because unlike an individual sport, a lot of factors are involved in getting into a team, including politics. In an individual game, nobody can stop you if you are number one.”
Like other families whose children have taken to sports, the Shetty family too misses their son for long stretches of time, when he is either reporting for the national camp in Hyderabad or participating in competitions across the world. The India probables are based at the P. Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad, and are trained by Indian as well as foreign coaches.
Rise in rankings
The Chirag-Saatwiksai duo was at No. 16 in the world badminton rankings as on July 31, 2019, prior to the Thailand Open breakthrough, and are now at No. 9. Chirag (22).
Trained at GSC under UdayPawar, ex-India doubles international, the duo caught the eye of national coaches during tournaments and was inducted into the Hyderabad camp. Saatwiktsai (19), trains at the Gopichand Academy and is a local player.
Mr. Shetty is a hands-on parent who shuttles between cities to be with his son. “I don’t allow him to stay for more than 15 days alone. If he has to stay longer in Hyderabad, I go there, check into a hotel near the academy and we spend time together.”
He also travels to every competition in India where the son is playing. His wife Sujata travels to tournaments with his daughter Arya, also a trainee at the Uday Pawar Academy, aspiring for a doubles career.
“My only advice to the children was that they should excel in what they do,” he said. While Chirag was a topper in badminton at the school level (representing Ryan International and N.M. College of Commerce), Arya is a bronze medalist in the under-17 category. He has hopes for the daughter, who he describes as ‘talented and hardworking’.
“With regular partners in women’s doubles, I feel she can be a future India prospect. In the girls category, partners keep changing three times a year. She is looking for a doubles partner,” said Mr. Shetty.
It’s not always fun watching his children play, though. “We get to watch a lot of badminton, though the enjoyment is not there. As a parent, there is always anxiety. To watch him (the son) compete takes a toll on my nerves. It is okay in the first two-three rounds, then the matches get tough,” said Mr. Shetty.
Exposure to tournaments has, however, made his son tougher, he said. “The Badminton Association of India sends him for many tournaments, and the exposure helps to improve his rankings.”
India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty pose with their medals and trophy after winning the Thailand Open 2019 badminton doubles title in Bangkok, Sunday, Aug 4, 2019. The Indian pair defeated the reigning world champions Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen 21-19, 18-21, 21-18 to claim the title. (PTI Photo) (PTI8_4_2019_000149B)
There are enough facilities, so that has never really worried him: specialised doubles coaches, appointments with the best doctors in case of injuries, which GoSports Foundation organises.
Father and son are members at GSC, and the Shetty family lives in Malad. Training twice a day is normal for Chirag. He trains on his own in the morning as a club member, and returns for evening academy sessions under Mr. Pawar, who had played for India and is aware of the standards, said Mr. Shetty.
“Having a coach on court for training every day is a blessing for those at the academy, as are the club facilities for badminton players,” he said.
Chirag and Saatwiksai Reddy have flown from Bangkok to Hyderabad and the Shetty family is awaiting the son’s homecoming later this week. When both the children are at home, does the talk revolve around badminton?
“Chirag and Arya don’t discuss badminton at home. Each has their own interests, which keep them busy. Chirag likes watching serials and movies on Netflix,” said the father.
A championship calls again
The next major event for the Indian men’s doubles pair is the BWF World Championship in Basel, Switzerland, later this month. Chirag Shetty will barely have time to savour his Thailand victory before he returns to Hyderabad for preparations under doubles coach Flandy Limpee of Indonesia.
