Thomas Cup: It’s the best feeling in world, says Satwiksairaj

Hyderabad: “The feeling of winning the Thomas Cup hasn’t sunken in yet. It is the best feeling in the world.”

This is what Indian doubles player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy said more than 24 hours after India’s historic Thomas Cup victory. The doubles player says he doesn’t want this feeling to end. “We are still in the trance. The victory is a result of team effort and self-belief. The bonding among the players is the key for the success. We believed that we could win this cup and we delivered it. This victory is a big motivation for us going ahead. I learnt that if we have self-belief we can achieve anything,” says the elated lanky player.

The difference between India’s performances earlier in the event to this was the presence of a strong team, according to the Amalapuram lad. “Earlier, we had only one or two players who could win. We used to think that if Srikanth or any other player loses a match, the tie is over. But now, things are different. We knew we had players who can pull off matches. If Lakshya (Sen) loses the first match, we (doubles team of Satwik and Chirag Shetty) are there, then we have Srikanth and (HS) Prannoy who can win matches. That is what makes this team special. The depth in the team is very good,” said the 21-year-old.

He revealed that winning for the country is the best feeling. “Team events are very special. Personally, I feel I play much better in team events. When I look back, I played better in team events like in the Commonwealth Games where we played finals and won, even in PBL.”

When asked about his memorable match in the tournament, he said, “The doubles match in the final against Indonesia is special. Not because it was the final but we never came back from that position and won a match. We were a game down and were also down in the second game, but we rallied from there and took it to the third game and won it. This happened for the first time since we began our partnership. Playing against the most successful team like Indonesia and at this stage makes it even more special.”

Explaining the camaraderie in the team, Satwik added, “The bonding in the team was very special. Before the final, we had a hurdle. After the hurdle, I said I wanted to speak in the hurdle. Everyone gathered again in no time and asked me to speak. That support means everything. I never spoke in a team hurdle before. I said ‘We will play freely without any pressure. Opponents are under pressure as they are 14-time champions. We are playing on a different level at the moment.’ I told Lakshya that if he gets into rhythm, he could beat anyone. He lost a few matches earlier against tough opponents. As a youngster, I could relate what was going through. Playing the first match is very tough. He was very hungry to perform. We knew that we would win 3-0 once Lakshya pulled off the opening match.”

He further opined that winning a team event remains a special one. “We have all medals – Olympic medals, All England titles. But we never won a team event like the Thomas Cup. This is very special. I want to celebrate this special occasion for many more days,” he concluded.

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