Source: Visual China Group / Lu Lin / CHINASPORTS / VCG
[Saba Sports News] Recently, Indian badminton circles were struck with sorrowful news. Doubles player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy lost his father last Thursday at dawn. It is known that Rankireddy’s father was a retired teacher. On the day of the incident, he was driving with his wife to New Delhi, planning to meet Rankireddy and attend an awards ceremony the next day as a family. Unfortunately, on the way, his father suddenly suffered from a heart attack. Despite being rushed to the hospital urgently, he couldn’t be saved and passed away en route. Not long ago, Rankireddy received India’s highest sports honor, the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Award. The family originally planned to celebrate this achievement together, but fate had other plans. Rankireddy’s sudden loss has dealt him a significant psychological blow, leaving his participation in the All England Badminton Championships from March 11-16 uncertain. In this tournament, Rankireddy, partnered with Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty, is listed as the No. 7 seed in men’s doubles, making them the only Indian duo participating. Since their debut in 2018 in one of the world’s oldest badminton tournaments, they have shown relentless effort. Although they have not yet reached the finals, in 2022, they made it to the quarter-finals, achieving their best performance at the All England Championships.