We are not playing like robots, we are going with do or die approach, says Satwik
Indian badminton player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy has been the main reason behind his stellar performance with Chirag Shetty in the current season, clarity about the target, working on the mindset again and again and taking a break from the game. Satwik and Chirag won the French Open Super 750 title on Sunday, becoming the first Indian pair to achieve the feat. Satwik, 22, from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh says that thoughtful planning and adopting a do or die approach to achieve specific goals has helped him enjoy the game and achieve success .
Satwik told PTI, “In 2019 I was playing every tournament, there was no break. I was playing both men’s and mixed doubles. It used to be that there is always another tournament so even if we lose there is no problem. But now it is a question of do or die. We want to win whatever tournament we are playing.
“So we are not targeting every tournament, that is something that has changed. We are not playing like robots, we have a proper plan. We know that we have to achieve this milestone and if we are achieving our target then our work is done for that year. are putting. We are mentally focusing a lot on the tournament. It’s like go to tournaments, make it to the podium, return home, take a break and then set new goals. We are trying to make it a good habit.
Satwik and Chirag won two World Tour titles in 2022 – India Open Super 500 and French Open Super 750 besides winning gold medals at Commonwealth Games. Apart from this, the pair was also part of the Indian team that won the Thomas Cup and bronze at the World Championships. She also managed to win a medal. The French Open title has revived the pair’s chances of qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals. The pair jumped four places to 12th in the HSBC Race to Guangzhou rankings.
However, only the top eight pairs will qualify for the season-ending tournament. The Indian pair have done well against most of the top players but have faced difficulties against Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wuyiik and Indonesia’s Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjay Sukamuljo. Satwik said, “It is related to mindset. We are not enjoying our game against them. In the World Championships, we played 80 per cent of our game, so the fight was close. They are not taking us as a threat and we have to break this mindset. Once we do that, things will change.
