Indian Badminton Stars Shine at Hong Kong Open Super 500
India’s badminton heroes kicked off the Hong Kong Open Super 500 on a high note on Tuesday. In men’s doubles, the dynamic duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty grabbed a thrilling victory, while singles sensation Kiran George powered into the main draw after dominating qualifiers. This strong start has fans excited for more action in the badminton tournament.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the world No. 8 pair and eighth seeds, faced a tough challenge from Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin in their first-round match. The Indians dominated the opening game with sharp net play and their signature powerful smashes, winning 21-13. But the Taiwanese duo bounced back strong in the second game, forcing longer rallies and errors to level the score at 21-18.
In the deciding third game, Satwik and Chirag found their groove again. They mixed quick interceptions with aggressive attacks to take full control, sealing the win 21-10. Coming off a bronze medal at last month’s World Championships in Paris—their second at the event—these Indian badminton stars now gear up for the second round. They could face Japan’s Kenya Mitsuhashi and Hiroki Okamura or Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul.
Over in men’s singles, Kiran George made sure India stays in the mix by breezing through the qualifying rounds. The world No. 38 first beat Malaysia’s Cheam June Wei 21-14, 21-13 in a solid performance. Then, he took down fellow Indian S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian 21-18, 21-14 with confidence. Sankar had earlier stunned England’s Wang Yue Hang 21-10, 21-5 in the first qualifier. Kiran now takes on Singapore’s Jia Heng Jason Teh in his main-draw debut, promising more excitement for Indian badminton fans.
The qualifiers also delivered drama, as 20-year-old Tharun Mannepalli pulled off a massive upset. He shocked former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth 28-26, 21-13 in the first round. But Tharun’s run ended there, as he lost to Malaysia’s fourth seed Justin Hoh 21-23, 13-21, 18-21 in the next match.
With these wins, India’s badminton campaign at the Hong Kong Open looks promising. Keep an eye on Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, and Kiran George as they chase glory in this Super 500 badminton tournament.
