New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) HS Prannoy lauded India’s men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty after their long-awaited return to the top step of the BWF World Tour, calling their Singapore Open 2026 triumph a testament to their consistency in world-class company despite limited domestic depth.

India’s world No. 4 duo ended a two-year title drought with a hard-fought 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 win over Indonesia’s world No. 3 pair Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in a 73-minute final at the Singapore Badminton Open.

The victory marked their first title since the 2024 Thailand Open, also held in May, and made them the first Indian doubles team ever to win the Singapore Open, a tournament previously won only by Indian singles players Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu and B Sai Praneeth.

Reacting to the breakthrough, Prannoy highlighted both the challenges and the resilience of India’s top doubles pair in a competitive global landscape.

“The leading badminton nations have depth. Multiple pairs in the top 20 and world-class sparring partners every day. India has one. Yet Satwik and Chirag keep conquering the biggest stages. That’s what makes this Singapore Open title so sweet. In a league of their own,” Prannoy wrote on X.

On court, Satwik-Chirag had to recover from a difficult start. After a tight opening game, they conceded the first set despite leading phases of the contest, as the Indonesians closed strongly from 17-18 to take it 21-18.

The Indian pair responded in the second game with greater control, using a decisive mid-game surge to turn an even contest into a 21-17 equaliser. The momentum swing carried into the decider, where Satwik and Chirag established a four-point lead at the interval.

Although Alfian-Fikri fought back to narrow the gap to 14-13, the Indians held their nerve, winning seven of the next 11 points to close out the match and seal their ninth BWF World Tour title.

The win also carried added significance given their recent near-misses, including three final defeats over the past two seasons and a loss earlier this month at the Thailand Open.

India’s campaign in Singapore otherwise ended in the singles quarter-finals, with Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu exiting with losses in the quarterfinal, making the doubles triumph the standout result of the week. Prannoy, meanwhile, won his opening-round clash against Jonatan Christie but bowed out after losing to eventual runner-up Loh Kean Yew in the second round.

–IANS

vi/