Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty mathematically confirm Paris Olympics berth

India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty confirmed their 2024 Paris Olympics berth mathematically. The World No. 1 duo faced an unexpected early exit at the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championships 2024, going down to Indonesia’s M. Fikri and Bagas Maulana 16-21, 15-21.

However, their recent dream run of four finals on the trot ensured that the Indian pair remained in the top spot and booked their place for the Paris Olympics.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, currently World No. 1, are well within the qualification criteria for a spot at the Paris Olympics, which requires a pair to be ranked in the top 16 before the end of the qualification period that is set to end on April 28, 2024.

Apart from Rankireddy and Shetty, no other Indian men’s singles pair is in the top 16. M.R. Arjun and Dhruv Kapila, India’s second-highest-ranked pair, currently sit in the 41st spot.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s phenomenal start to 2024

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty ended 2023 on a high, reaching the finals of the China Masters. 2024 saw the India duo pick up right where they left off, reaching the final of the next three tournaments, making it four in a row.

Rankireddy and Shetty started the year with a second-place finish at the Malaysia Open 2024. They went down to China’s Liang W. K. and Wang Chang in the final. The World No. 1 duo then made it to yet another final, taking second place once again, this time at their home tournament, the India Open where they went down to the South Korean pair of Kang Minhyuk and Seo Seungjae.

Extending their dream run, the Indian pair entered their third final of the year, this time winning the title. Rankireddy and Shetty beat Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang P. H. of Chinese Taipei in the final of the French Open 2024. The in-form pair will be favorites to win the title at the Paris Olympics.

In addition to Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, India’s two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and World No. 7 HS Prannoy have also booked their places for the Paris Olympics. This will be the first Olympic Games appearance for Rankireddy, Shetty, and Prannoy, while Sindhu, who won medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will participate in her third