Badminton | Satwik-Chirag ensure India’s first men’s doubles medal at World Championships

Having assured themselves of at least a bronze, Satwik and Chirag will now face the Malaysian pair of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Friday scripted history by becoming the first Indian pair to win a medal in men’s doubles competition at the World Championships after upsetting world number 2 Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan in the quarterfinals in Tokyo.

The world number 7 Indian combination, which had claimed the Commonwealth Games gold medal earlier this month, outwitted the local favourites and defending champions 24-22 15-21 21-14 in an hour and 15 minutes to claim its maiden medal at the prestigious tournament.

It was India’s second World Championships medal in the doubles event with Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa claiming a bronze way back in 2011 in the women’s doubles.

Having assured themselves of at least a bronze, Satwik and Chirag will now face the sixth seeded Malaysian pair of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the semifinals.

Earlier, M. R. Arjun and Dhruv Kapila’s fine run came to an end after the Indian pair lost to three-time gold medallists Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in another men’s doubles quarterfinals.

The unseeded Indian duo, which had some sensational wins this week, lost 8-21 14-21 to the third seeded Indonesian pair in less than 30 minutes.