Pawan Kalyan hails Satwik-Chirag’s China Masters win; Vizag coach recalls early training days - The HinduPublished - September 07, 2026 08:40 pm IST - VISAKHAPATNAMSatwiksairaj Rankireddy, left, and Chirag Shetty clinch China Masters Super 750 title. FILE PHOTO | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTOAndhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Monday congratulated Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on winning the China Masters title, describing it as “another proud moment for Bharat and another glorious milestone for Indian badminton” in a message posted on social media.The world No. 5 Indian pair rallied from a game down to defeat China’s He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 in the final in Shenzhen, becoming the first Indian men’s doubles pair to win the China Masters. It was their second title of the 2026 season, after the Singapore Open in May.The victory has revived memories in Visakhapatnam, where Satwiksairaj trained briefly in his formative years. Para-badminton Indian team coach and founder of Laqshya Badminton Academy, Murali Krishna, who trained him at the Swarna Bharati Indoor Stadium in Vizag, said the shuttler spent about two months under him in 2011 before moving to the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy. The connection, he said, began through Satwiksairaj’s father, with whom he used to play at Amalapuram, the family’s native place in East Godavari district.Mr. Murali Krishna described Satwiksairaj as a transformed personality since those early days. “He is such a mature guy. He handles pressure easily, and he’s a very passionate, humble guy,” he said, adding that Satwiksairaj had also worked to develop badminton infrastructure in Amalapuram in his bid to give back to society.Published - September 07, 2026 08:40 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }