Badminton: Satwik-Chirag win fourth title of year at Korea Open
Yeosu (Korea), Jul 23: India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty continued their dream run, clinching the men's doubles title at the Korea Open with a gritty three-game win over world number one Fajar Alfian and Muhamad Rian Ardianto in the final here on Sunday.
Playing their fourth final of the year, the world No. 3 Indians rallied their way to a 17-21, 21-13, 21-14 win over the two-time world championships bronze medallists Alfian and Ardianto in a thrilling summit clash of the Super 500 badminton tournament.
"The way we played today in the finals, didn't start off that well but happy that we could win that second game and keep the momentum until the very end. Yes, extremely happy that we could win consecutive titles after the Indonesia Open," Chirag said after the match.
The reigning Commonwealth Games champions thus extended their winning streak to 10 matches. It was another feather feather on their cap, following their victory at the Swiss Open, Asian Championships and Indonesia Open this year.
"It's been pretty good week for us. We played some amazing badminton throughout the week here and I am happy with the performance today. We want to continue with the same momentum next week at Japan Open. So, we'll go back now, rest and focus again," Satwik said.
The Indian pair had a 2-2 head-to-head count against Asian Games silver medallists Alfian and Ardianto but they had beaten the Indonesians on last two occasions.
The Indians looked a little subdued in the beginning as they trailed in the opening game but they recovered in the fag end, narrowing a 10-19 deficit with a six-point burst before falling short.
However, they found the momentum in the second game and dominated the proceedings thereafter to come up trumps.
The Indonesians played flat rallies at a high pace to open up a 4-2 lead early on. The Indians were pegged back as Alfian and Ardianto didn't allow their opponents to mount their attack.
Errors also crept in as Satwik and Chirag conceded a seven-point advantage to their rivals at the break.
The Indians won a few quick points but the Indonesians managed to move away to 16-7 after Ardianto smashed one down the middle.
Another down-the-middle smash from Ardianto took the Indonesians to 19-11. Satwik and Chirag won next three points before playing an exciting rally which ended with the Indonesians going to the net.
A booming jump smash from Satwik further cut down the deficit to three points but he sent one wide to hand four game points to the Indonesians.
The Indians saved one with Chirag's cross court return before Satwik sprayed one to the net.
The second game started on an even keel with the two pairs engaging in some delectable rallies. The Indians infused more power and pace into their game as they started to dominate the proceedings.
The Indians opened up a slender 6-4 lead after a Chirag interception and maintained it till 10-8, with Satwik unleashing his trademark smash.
The Indian duo had a cushion of three points at the break when the Indonesians went wide. A cross court return from the front court from Chirag took them to 17-11.
Soon Satwik and Chirag grabbed nine game points. They squandered two before Chirag sent one down the middle to take the match to the decider.
Satwik and Chirag looked in control in the third game, eking out a 9-6 lead before going into the interval at 11-8.
The Indians were more aggressive and managed to keep the world number 1 pair under the pump.
After resumption, a Chirag interception helped the Indians keep the three-point lead at 13-10. Alfian and Ardianto looked a pale shadow as nothing was going their way.
Satwik and Chirag also dominated the flat exchanges and soon it became 18-12 in favour of the Indians. Alfian produced a superb backhand return but sprayed the next one to the net to hand over seven match points to the Indians.
They wasted one before converting the next, and broke into a Gangnam style dance to celebrate their victory.
Since pairing up, Satwik and Chirag have won multiple titles, including Commonwealth Games gold, Thomas Cup gold, bronze medal in World Championships and collected wins in Super 300 (Syed Modi and Swiss Open), Super 500 (Thailand and India Open), Super 750 (French Open) and Indonesia Open Super 1000.
The BWF World Tour is divided into six levels: World Tour Finals, four Super 1000, six Super 750, seven Super 500, and 11 Super 300.
The other category of the tournament, the BWF Tour Super 100 level, also offers ranking points.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
