Chirag Shetty Trying To 'Get Busy Living' Through Rehab; Speaks On Finding Hope
The words of Andy Dufresne and Red helped him find his own way out of desolation (just as Andy did eventually), as Chirag found value in being patient and hopeful.
When one is plagued with injury, hope is hard to find. When it does appear, the bigger question pops up in one’s head: Is hope a good or bad thing?
Well, luckily for Chirag Shetty and the genius of the ‘Shawshank Redemption’, the Indian shuttler finds it to be one of the best things (as Andy Dufresne would put it).
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Chirag had suffered a back injury during the second round of the All England Championships in March: an aggravation of what he stated has been a persistent issue throughout his career.
“I’ve always had back issues, which normally settle down. But it was quite bad this time. I didn’t understand why it was taking so long," Shetty stated to the Indian Express.
“It’s tough to rationalise. I’m usually quite strong and come to terms with timelines. But this time it didn’t heal in time, a timeline got breached, which wasn’t expected. You believe eventually things will get better, and then they don’t, I had to deal with that," he adds.
And due to the unexpected nature of the injury, Shetty, along with his doubles partner, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (who was down with illness himself) were forced to withdraw from the recent BWF Sudirman Cup Finals.
“There’s been no break–break as such, like a family holiday to get over this because rehab is intensive."
In the hustle-bustle of an athlete’s life, what helped him find solace and strength was Frank Darabont’s masterpiece, The Shawshank Redemption.
“I revisited Shawshank Redemption, my favourite," Shetty stated to IE.
The words of Andy Dufresne and Red helped him find his own way out of desolation (just as Andy did eventually), as Chirag found value in being patient and hopeful.
The recurring spasm though wreaked havoc into Chirag’s life, as the Indian shuttler expounded on the impact it had on his everyday life — rendering him unable to even function normally.
“A day before, suddenly, I got a spasm as bad as All England. Sitting was difficult, getting up was tough. I would dread lying down because after 8 hours, just standing back was tough. Everything hurt. I wasn’t doing anything crazy or new, but it could flare up just walking around, multiple times. Just couldn’t wrap my head around it."
But, all’s not lost. And Chirag knows that he could have suffered worse. So, at the end of the day (or tunnel, in the case of Andy Dufresne), there exists light for Shetty, who aims to get back to the top again.
“If both of us are fit enough, we are sure of our calibre. We don’t want to rush. Once fit, getting our ranks and titles back will be no issue," he says.
Chirag and Satwik, who took a break after their Paris Olympic quarterfinal finish, made a strong start to the 2025 season by reaching the semifinals of the Malaysia Open and Indian Open.
The duo, however, is dealing with fitness and injury issues, as they pulled out of the Badminton Asia Championships last month and later withdrew from the Sudirman Cup due to sickness.
The duo was last seen in action at the 2025 All England Open Super 1000, where they retired midway in their Round of 16 match.
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