Ace Indian men’s doubles shuttler Chirag Shetty rued the lack of recognition for India’s historic 2022 Thomas Cup win on a social media post on Monday.
Responding to The Bridge’s social media post regarding cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar’s comparison between India’s Thomas Cup win and the 1983 World Cup win, Shetty wrote: “Finally, someone said it…Always wished that the win was celebrated more than it actually was.”
Gavaskar, speaking on Sony Sports, had said “Badminton is my favourite sport,” while equating the 2022 Thomas Cup win to the 1983 World Cup win, which he was a part of.
The 28-year-old Shetty was a vital cog in the wheel for India’s triumph at the Thomas Cup, winning the crucial men’s doubles battles along with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy during the campaign.
This is, however, not the first time Shetty has spoken about the lack of recognition for the historic title win.
Back in 2024 he had expressed his displeasure for not being recognised by his home state Maharashtra for his accomplishments.
“Thomas Cup is equivalent to winning the World Cup. I was part of the Indian badminton team which won its maiden title, shocking champions Indonesia in the final. I was the only Maharashtra player in the team. When the government can honour the World-Cup winning cricket stars, they should have also recognised my efforts. Government should treat any other sport equally,” Shetty had told Times of India at the time.
Shetty and Rankireddy have grown from strength to strength since the 2022 Thomas Cup. They have won gold medals at the Asian Games, Asian Championships, and Commonwealth Games since.
They also took home the bronze medal from the 2022 Badminton World Championships, while also being crowned the world No 1.
Shetty and Rankireddy, however, have been struggling with injuries off late but seem to be getting back to their best as evidenced by their return to top-10 in the BWF world rankings this week.
