GUNTUR: It was a moment of joy and pride for the family members of the shuttlers from Andhra Pradesh -- Kidambi Srikanth and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy -- as the duo played a key role in the Indian team lifting the Thomas Cup.Srikanth’s father KVS Krishna said, “Honestly, I didn’t expect Srikanth to win the match as his opponent Jonatan Christie is a very strong player and had defeated Srikanth twice in various tournaments this year. But it was a proud moment for us when his victory sealed the cup for India.’’
Krishna said Srikanth visited them before leaving for Bangkok. “Like every parent, we wished and prayed for his success. But this time, it is more than him as the tournament is not only about him, but the entire Indian team.’’The proud father said Thomas Cup victory is a different feeling. “If Srikanth wins any other tournament, it would be Srikanth who would get the laurels. This is a tournament involving teams and now it is the country which gets the name. I am proud that Srikanth is part of it,’’ he said.
His hard work and focus brought him success, he said and added Srikanth’s career took a back seat in 2018 and 2019 due to injuries. However, the Covid pandemic gave him time to recoup and emerge out of the injuries with flying colours, he said.
Expressing her joy, Srikanth’s mother Radha said the entire team has performed well and they are very happy that Srikanth is a part of the historic victory. “As we won’t talk to him during the tournaments, I am eager to talk to him and congratulate him personally,’’ she added.Srikanth has shown excellent performance in the entire tournament and won all six matches against Kai Schaefer ( Germany), Brain Yan (Canada), Wang Tzu Wei (China), Ng Tze Yong (Malaysia) in the quarterfinals, Anders Antonsen ( Denmark) and Jonatan Christie (Indonesia) in the finals and played a significant role in winning the cup by defeating 14-times winner Indonesia.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, the other shuttler from AP, who paired with Chirag Shetty to win the doubles match, hails from Amalapuram in Konaseema district. Satwik’s father Kasi Viswanadham expressed joy over his son’s contribution to win the tournament. Viswanadham had been working as a Physical Director in a high school in Konaseema district before retirement.
Governor hails team India
Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan congratulated the Indian team for winning prestigious Thomas Cup Badminton Championship, for the first time. He congratulated the Indian team consisting of Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Satwik Sairaj and Chirag Shetty for defeating the 14-time champions Indonesia 3-0. He said it was a great achievement for the Indian team to win Thomas Cup, without losing a match in the final. The Governor said the Indian team deserve all the praise as they have made the country proud by their outstanding performance.