India brilliant double pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are hoping to employ the services of a new foreign coach ahead of their Olympic preparations following the impromptu exit of former coach Flandy Limpele

The Indonesian was appointed till the end of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which has now been postponed till next year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak across the globe.

Limpele has previously renounced his position as India doubles coach due to family reasons as he becomes the fourth foreign coach to resign without honoring his contract.

Chirag revealed that the postponement of the Olympics will now give them enough time to get over the departure of Limpele, who has been hired specifically to prepare them for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

He said, “The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics has given us more time to b9ost our preparation. Since it has been shifted by a year, I believe we will get a new foreign coach soon. Had it been the Olympics that took place this year, then we wouldn’t have had much time to prepare, and it will affect us in the tournament proper, but the Badminton Association of India might help us get one soon”.

Satwik also added that the sudden departure of Limpele in the Olympic year was a big concern saying, ” it was a massive concern for us because coach Limpele abandoned us before the Olympics.

His experience is top-notch as he gives us inputs in every game, and we had a lot of trust in him, and since he left, we have no idea what to do and the schedule of the program to follow”.

” but thankfully it (Olympics) has been shifted by a year, and we hope to get a new coach and have to adjust to his new tactics, so in one way or the other we are lucky the Olympics is postponed “. He added.

The Badminton association of India has however promised to get the doubles men pair a foreign coach once the Pandemic outbreak is over.

Written by: Olumide Akinnifesi