New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) – What happens when two top singles players decide to join forces in mixed doubles? For Satish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath, the gamble has paid off spectacularly. The pair, now ranked 33rd in the world, has quickly risen through the ranks in just 18 months, becoming India’s leading mixed doubles duo.
On February 4, 2023, Satish and Aadya won the Iran International Challenge, marking a breakthrough in their partnership. A year later, they clinched their first-ever gold medal at the National Games in Dehradun, beating Deep Rambhiya and Akshaya Warang 21-11, 20-22, 21-8 in a nail-biting final.
In between these victories, the duo has claimed titles in Azerbaijan and Uganda and made a bold attempt to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Although they fell short of their Olympic dream, their journey has been nothing short of remarkable, as they leaped from world No. 432 in 2023 to their current world No. 33 ranking.
Satish, who started his athletic career as a swimmer before taking up badminton at the age of 12, explained the situation: “I had some family issues in India, so I had to move to Malaysia. It’s been a challenging yet rewarding experience.”
Aadya, who is originally from Bangalore, added, “We train mostly in Bangalore, and sometimes Sathish goes to Coimbatore. If we could stay in Kuala Lumpur long-term, that would be ideal. But we are still working on getting a long-term visa, as the only option available now is a work visa. Unfortunately, that restricts us from traveling for tournaments.”
"Playing both formats is not easy, but I credit my team for helping me manage it," Satish said. "Coach Jiva and trainer Varun Suresh have been amazing in supporting me, and we are training at the Asia Badminton Academy in Malaysia. We have a program in place, and everything is going smoothly."
Despite his success, Satish came close to qualifying for the Paris Olympics but missed out due to a recent illness. He remains optimistic about future opportunities.
“The pace in mixed doubles is different from singles,” Aadya noted. “We spar at different clubs and with independent players to improve our skills, which has really helped us grow as a pair.”
Looking ahead, the duo’s next goal is the prestigious All England Championships, which will be held from March 11 to 16. They had hoped to train in Kuala Lumpur this month, but due to visa issues, they’ll have to stay in India to prepare for the tournament.
Aadya concluded, “We need at least three to four weeks of focused training, and we’re doing everything we can to prepare for the All England.”
As Satish and Aadya continue to rise through the world badminton ranks, their remarkable journey of overcoming challenges and achieving success serves as an inspiration to budding players across India.
On February 4, 2023, Satish and Aadya won the Iran International Challenge, marking a breakthrough in their partnership. A year later, they clinched their first-ever gold medal at the National Games in Dehradun, beating Deep Rambhiya and Akshaya Warang 21-11, 20-22, 21-8 in a nail-biting final.
In between these victories, the duo has claimed titles in Azerbaijan and Uganda and made a bold attempt to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Although they fell short of their Olympic dream, their journey has been nothing short of remarkable, as they leaped from world No. 432 in 2023 to their current world No. 33 ranking.
Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Success
Despite their growing success, the journey hasn’t been without hurdles. Since April last year, Satish and Aadya have been training in Kuala Lumpur under Malaysian coach Jivananthan Nair. However, visa restrictions have posed a major challenge, as the pair can only stay in Malaysia for a month at a time, forcing them to frequently travel back to India.Satish, who started his athletic career as a swimmer before taking up badminton at the age of 12, explained the situation: “I had some family issues in India, so I had to move to Malaysia. It’s been a challenging yet rewarding experience.”
Aadya, who is originally from Bangalore, added, “We train mostly in Bangalore, and sometimes Sathish goes to Coimbatore. If we could stay in Kuala Lumpur long-term, that would be ideal. But we are still working on getting a long-term visa, as the only option available now is a work visa. Unfortunately, that restricts us from traveling for tournaments.”
Balancing Singles and Doubles
While Aadya has transitioned fully to mixed doubles, Satish continues to juggle both singles and doubles. The 23-year-old from Chennai secured his first Super 100 title at the Odisha Masters in 2023, and followed it up with another title at the Guwahati Masters last December."Playing both formats is not easy, but I credit my team for helping me manage it," Satish said. "Coach Jiva and trainer Varun Suresh have been amazing in supporting me, and we are training at the Asia Badminton Academy in Malaysia. We have a program in place, and everything is going smoothly."
Despite his success, Satish came close to qualifying for the Paris Olympics but missed out due to a recent illness. He remains optimistic about future opportunities.
The Road Ahead
Aadya’s badminton journey began at the age of four when she attended a summer camp in Mumbai, and by six, she was receiving regular coaching. Her dedication and hard work have paid off, and although she has focused on doubles for the last year and a half, her experience as a singles player remains crucial to her overall game.“The pace in mixed doubles is different from singles,” Aadya noted. “We spar at different clubs and with independent players to improve our skills, which has really helped us grow as a pair.”
Looking ahead, the duo’s next goal is the prestigious All England Championships, which will be held from March 11 to 16. They had hoped to train in Kuala Lumpur this month, but due to visa issues, they’ll have to stay in India to prepare for the tournament.
Aadya concluded, “We need at least three to four weeks of focused training, and we’re doing everything we can to prepare for the All England.”
As Satish and Aadya continue to rise through the world badminton ranks, their remarkable journey of overcoming challenges and achieving success serves as an inspiration to budding players across India.
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