The Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is truly special and getting it before the Paris Olympics next year is a huge morale-booster, said Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy after he and doubles partner Chirag Shetty were formally named for the prestigious award on Wednesday.
“Honestly, I was not expecting this so early. This is all the more special since we both (Chirag and I) got it. We feel it is a recognition of our achievements and would like to give credit to the family members, coach Mathias Boe, Gopi Sir (chief national coach) and the entire support staff at Gopi Academy,” Satwik told The Hindu.
“My parents are really thrilled and this is another unforgettable day for all of us,” he said. “This has been a mixed year so far... I would say 50% good and 50% bad. But definitely the World No. 1 ranking is one of the most memorable moments besides winning the 2023 Asian Games gold,” Satwik said.
“I don’t think we need to change drastically in any aspect of the game. All we look for is to play to our potential and reduce the number of unforced errors in the run-up to the Olympics as winning the gold there is the ultimate target,” he said.
“It is great to have someone like Boe as our coach. More importantly, Gopi Sir is travelling with us now. I instinctively speak in Telugu and since the understanding is much quicker and better during matches, it is really helping me a lot,” Satwik said.
“Having enjoyed what the feeling of being World No. 1 was, we do target to be the best in the world besides chasing the Olympic gold. It is a fact that many players across the world are picking up new things after watching us in action. That itself is a tribute to our support staff and the way we have been playing,” said Satwik.
