KUALA LUMPUR: The participation of India’s doubles shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy in the All-England with Chirag Shetty is in doubt.
Satwiksairaj is mourning the loss of his beloved father, R. Kasi Viswanatham, who passed away due to a heart attack.
The heartbreaking news reached Satwiksairaj on Thursday morning, just a day before his parents were set to join him in New Delhi to witness him receive the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award - the highest sporting honour in the country.
Viswanatham, a retired physical education teacher, had planned to attend the special occasion alongside his wife, Rangamani.
However, while traveling by car with his wife and a friend from Amalapuram to Rajahmundry Airport in Andhra Pradesh, he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest. He was rushed to a hospital but could not be saved.
Satwiksairaj has since returned to his hometown to grieve with his family.
With Satwiksairaj grieving the loss of his father, it remains uncertain whether he will take part in the All-England in Birmingham from March 11-16 as he could be mentally and physically not ready to compete in the prestigious event.
The duo have been seeded seventh for the prestigious tournament and are India’s sole representatives in the men’s doubles event.
Since making their debut at the world’s oldest badminton tournament in 2018, Satwiksairaj and Chirag have yet to reach the final.
Their best performance came in 2022 when they advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to Indonesia’s Kevin Sanjaya-Marcus Fernaldi.
Last year, their campaign ended in the second round following a defeat to Bagas Maulana and Shohibul Fikri of Indonesia.
Given his current circumstances, Satwiksairaj’s participation remains in doubt, and it is unclear if he will be mentally and physically ready to compete at the prestigious event.
