Badminton at Olympics: Satwik-Chirag duo faces formidable Chia-Soh in quarterfinals
Paris (PTI): Indian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to hit top gear when they cross swords against Tokyo bronze medallist Malaysian combination of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the men's doubles quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics here on Thursday.
The former world number one pair of Satwik and Chirag, who won both their matches to top Group C, has been pitted against Chia and Soh after a draw of lot here this evening.
The Malaysian pair had finished in the second spot in Group A behind China's world number one Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.
Chia and Soh once had an overwhelming 8-0 head-to-head record against Satwik and Chirag but the Indians managed to register three straight-game wins over their fancied rivals in the last three meetings.
A win is likely to put the Indians up against top seeds Liang and Wang, who are set to take on Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in another quarterfinals.
It has always been an intense match between the Indians and Malaysians, and both are chasing their respective country's maiden badminton gold medal.
The Malaysians are known for their tactical acumen, pinpoint accuracy and high tempo game, and Satwik and Chirag will have to be sharp and get on with their attacking game from the word go.
After suffering many a heartbreaks against their opponents, Satwik and Chirag finally defeated Chia and Soh, the 2022 world champions, at the Indonesia Open super 1000 final last year. The Indians followed it up with victories at the 2022 Asian Games individual event and then at the India Open in January this year.
In the second half of the draw, second-seeded Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen of Denmark will take on fourth-seed Koreans Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae, while Thailand's Supak Jomkoh and Kedren Kittinupong will square off against Tokyo Games gold winners Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin of Chinese Taipei.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
