 Agencies
NEW DELHI, Jan 13: Chirag Shetty, one half of Indian badminton's famed doubles pair, on Monday said the focus has been on shoring up their defence since reuniting with well-known coach Tan Kim Her, as they seek more silverware.
In the upcoming season, Chirag and his partner Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are aiming to compete in more events and clinch major titles, including the World Tour Finals.
Credited for bringing Chirag and Satwik together during his first stint in India between 2015 and 2019, Malaysian doubles specialist Tan returned to the country for a second innings last month.
Chirag said Tan had provided them with direction when they were young players but now their relationship is more conversational.
"To have Tan back as our coach after 5-6 years is great. A lot of credit goes to him for our achievements. We were still youngsters when he paired us up, and it was much more directional back then. But the approach is very different now; it's much more conversational," Chirag told PTI.
"We're already established now, so we discuss what we need to do, and as a coach, he shares his opinion."
Since Tan's return, the duo has been working on improving their defence and net play.
"It's the minor changes that really matter. Everybody knows how to smash, but it's the tactical details and small improvements that we need to focus on. I think we'll work on that with Tan, especially improving our defence, which is good but not yet the best in the world," Chirag said.
With Tan by their side, the duo also reflected on their shock quarterfinal loss at the Paris Olympics.
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