Asian Games 2026: Defending Champions Satwik-Chirag Knocked Out In Shocking First-Round Defeat To Thailand
Aichi: Defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a shock first-round exit in the men’s doubles badminton event at the Asian Games 2026 on Friday, losing to Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukhphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul. DEFENDING CHAMPIONS OUT! Satwik & Chirag lost in their #AsianGames2026 men’s doubles first round match! #TeamIndia #Badminton #SatwikChirag #IndiaSportsHub…
In a shocking turn of events at the Asian Games 2026, defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were eliminated in the first round of the men's doubles badminton competition. The Indian pair, ranked fifth and sixth respectively in the world, suffered a 21-12, 19-21, and 14-21 defeat to Thailand's Peeratchai Sukhphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul.
This marks a disappointing end to their title defense bid at the Asian Games 2026 held in Nagoya. The Indian duo had entered the event with confidence following their victory at the China Masters title last month. They had shown resilience earlier in the tournament, defeating China's He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu in a grueling three-set match.
However, their momentum could not carry them through in this encounter against the Thai pair, who exploited their weaknesses to secure a memorable win. The loss is particularly disheartening for Satwik and Chirag, as they had also played a significant role in India's bronze-medal-winning campaign in the men's team event.
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