‘Hearing Jai Ho in China after becoming World No.1 was one of my best moments’: Chirag Shetty

New Delhi: India’s star doubles shuttler Chirag Shetty has recalled one of the most memorable moments of his career, when the iconic Indian song Jai Ho echoed through the arena in Hangzhou after he and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy clinched badminton gold at the Asian Games 2023, a triumph that also coincided with their rise to World No. 1.

Chirag revealed that becoming the world’s top-ranked men’s doubles pair took a back seat during the tournament as his only focus was winning the gold medal.

After battling illness throughout the Games, Chirag said his coach informed him after the semifinal that he had become World No. 1.

“Our coach told me, ‘You’ve become World No. 1.’ I said, ‘Don’t tell me that. I don’t care if we’ve become World No. 1. I want to win the tournament. Winning that title along with becoming World No. 1 is one of the best moments I’ve had,” Chirag said in an upcoming episode of the Quest Talk podcast by iQOO.

“After we won the final, they played a Hindi song. In China, they started playing ‘Jai Ho’. We started dancing on the court. I threw my T-shirt into the crowd. That’s how we celebrated. Especially when you’re not in India, and a different country is playing a song from your country, it feels extremely special,” he added.

Chirag also revealed the extent of his physical struggle during the Asian Games after contracting influenza.

“A day before my match, I had really high fever. It was so bad that I couldn’t even walk to the bathroom. I still don’t know how I managed it,” he said.

The former World No. 1 admitted that achieving the top ranking had been a childhood dream, but said success had also taught him the importance of staying focused on the process rather than chasing outcomes.

“As a kid, my aim was to become World No. 1 at some point. But the next day I realised I had another tournament to prepare for,” he recalled.

The 27-year-old believes long-term success comes from enjoying the journey instead of obsessing over titles.

“I always tell everyone not to think about the end goal. That is just a by-product. The amount of effort you’ve put in makes you happier than winning the title,” he said.

IANS