"I haven't been felicitated yet, but it is not in our hands" - Rankireddy echoes partner Chirag Shetty's emotions about lack of recognition

Imagine staying late at work to fix a problem and not even getting a nod of appreciation in return. Or going out of your way to help a friend, yet not even hearing a simple 'thank you'. Putting your heart and soul into a project, only for your efforts to go unnoticed. Perhaps, we have all been there at some point, feeling the sting of being unseen.

Without recognition, toil can feel pointless. Now imagine winning gold for your country, only to be met with the same silence. Sadly, it is not uncommon in India's sports ecosystem. Last year, Chirag Shetty brought the issue to the fore when he called out his state government for not honoring him for the Thomas Cup triumph.

During the India Open last month, we asked Shetty's on-court ally Satwiksairaj Rankireddy about the same. Rankireddy returned a wry smile and answered in a resigned tone:-

"I don’t want to talk about it. I haven’t been felicitated yet."

Albeit reluctantly, he continued to tell us that he had it even worse.

"I don’t want to say it but Maharashtra government is supporting him far better than the AP (Andhra Pradesh) government. If you see in numbers there is quite a difference. You can’t do anything about it because of the state budget and all. So that’s not in our hands."

The Rankireddy-Shetty pair is India's most decorated badminton duo ever. Among other accolades, their resume boasts off an Asian Games gold, a Commonwealth Games gold and silver and nine tournament wins on the BWF circuit. They even hold the record for being world no. 1 for the longest duration among Indian shuttlers. Though, the coveted Olympic podium has thus far eluded them.

In 2021 at Tokyo, the pair defeated the eventual gold medallists in the group stage but failed to qualify for the next round on points difference. At Paris 2024, they lost to the Malaysian duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Woo Yik in the quarterfinals.

While the desire to win an Olympic medal is still strong, Rankireddy does not feel that it will define their legacy.

"I don’t think so" he said, "But that (winning an Olympic medal) is definitely the ultimate dream for us."

With the next edition of the quadrennial games still a long way away, as of now, they aren't stressing too much about it either.

"Not thinking so much about the Olympics. We have a long time to go. Just thinking about the present and not taking any pressure. Just looking to enjoy the game."

Yet, the grind remains the same — travel, train, give your all on the court and repeat. In January 2025, the duo participated in three tournaments held across three different countries and made it to the semifinals of two of them.

"We want to do well. We have a few more things on our tick-list." said Rankireddy, "We wanted to be in top two (of the world rankings) for a longer time. We were there for a long time. Then, we took a break and because of that we have now become world no. 8 or something (currently, world no. 7)."

"We will be back there." he asserted.

Both Rankireddy and Shetty featured in the Asia Mixed Team Championship this week, but they did not play there together as a pair.

"We are our own enemies. Our bodies can let us down" - Satwiksairaj Rankireddy on his struggles with injuries

The next big assignment for Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will be the All England Open Championship — widely considered the crown jewel tournament of the BWF World Tour. The duo has featured in the aforementioned competition five times with the quarterfinal finish in 2022 being their best result thus far. Remaining injury-free will undoubtedly be the key.

"We are our own enemies. Our bodies can let us down." said Rankireddy in the same conversation, "If we are not fit, we can’t play at our 100%. So we need to take care of our bodies accordingly."

Rankireddy's battered back and recurring shoulder injury was one of the major reasons why the duo took a three month break post the Paris Olympics. While his body feels much better now, he is yet to find the root cause of the persistent shoulder issue.

Rankireddy had narrated the ordeal during the press conference before the India Open.

"Sometimes, it is very on and off. When I go for the scans, it shows nothing so major, nothing so serious. But when there are back to back tournaments, then it is really hurts. So, trying to figure out that part." he explained.

"Right now, I’m feeling comfortable. Hopefully, it remains same and I’ll figure out after sometime. Right now, things have settled down and I am doing well." he added.

Despite injuries and setbacks, their hustle remains relentless. Rankings fluctuate, milestones come and go, but their zeal for the sport keeps them going. But, the yearning for recognition still lingers in their hearts.