Hyderabad: After the PV Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu went to practice with Korean coach Park Tae Sang in February at the SATS indoor stadium in Gachibowli, the men’s doubles team of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy also decided to train at this venue. However, the doubles will only have two sessions (Wednesday and Saturday) under Dutch coach Mathias Boe as part of their preparations for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Unlike world champion Sindhu, who only practices at SATS Stadium after leaving SAI-Gopichand Academy, Satwik and Chirag will continue to practice at the academy for the rest of the four days. In Gachibowli Stadium, they play on the adjacent court while Sindhu practices daily with her coach on the other court.
Both Satwik and Chirag confirmed this news. ‘We practice two sessions on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the SATS Indoor Stadium in Gachibowli. We have these two days of practice matches. We’re trying to get the simulation played in bigger stadiums. Since we have been practicing at SAI-Gopichand Academy for some time, we wanted a little change in our workouts. This will be useful in our preparations for the Tokyo Olympics. “Since the stadium in Tokyo will be big, the idea of training could be part of the training sessions for the next month or so,” said the 20-year-old Satwik.
Chirag said the decision to train at Gachibowli was made jointly. ‘We spoke to Mathias and Gopi sir because there was a need to get used to it, as most stadiums in the Super Series and the place at the Olympic Games in Japan are large. The conditions will be very similar to the Gachibowli Stadium, “the 23-year-old added.
Satwik said they are requesting that the A / C be turned on so that it will be useful for their workouts. ‘Although we did not find much impetus at the venue in Japan, we thought it would be better to also start practice matches with A / C. It’s all part of the exercise for the Tokyo Olympics. We feel good by practicing in the Indoor Stadium. ”
Satwik said they are happy with the new Dutch coach Boe. ‘Since we went through the Covid-19 pandemic we could not play in any of the tournaments and therefore can not judge correctly. The Olympics will be a big test for us. But we get some good input from him. We are happy with the way the workouts are held. There is a lot of intensity and purpose in the sessions. ”
Chirag reflected his feelings of Boe. ‘It’s good, but at first it took a while to get used to his tactics. But we are now enjoying the sessions and trying different shots and tactics that will help us in matches. ‘
Satwik has revealed that the Tokyo Olympics are a big event. “There is tangible excitement and we have waited too long for this moment. I am grateful to my parents who allowed me to live out my dream and hopefully win a medal for India. They put no pressure and are also waiting patiently for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. ”
Chirag said the excitement for the Olympics is there. ‘But there is a lot of uncertainty since the Tokyo Olympics were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s why I do not think about the Olympics and rather concentrate on my training. We shout very well as partners and set our goals for each training session, although we miss it very badly to play in the tournaments. ”
Source: Telangana Today