Tragic! Satwiksairaj Rankireddy's father passes away due to cardiac arrest ahead of receiving Khel Ratna award

R Kasi Viswanatham was set to travel to Delhi, where his son Satwiksairaj is scheduled to receive the prestigious Major Dhyan Gandhi Khel Ratna award on Thursday. 

Indian badminton doubles sensation Satwiksairaj Rankireddy has been hit with a personal tragedy as his father R Kasi Viswanatham passed away due to sudden cardiac arrest on Thursday, February 20. Viswanatham was 65 years old at the time of his untimely demise. 

R Kasi Viswanatham was set to travel to Delhi, where his son Satwiksairaj is scheduled to receive the prestigious Major Dhyan Gandhi Khel Ratna award on Thursday. The 24-year-old was announced as one of the recipients alongside his doubles partner for the highest sporting honour in 2023. However, the heartbreaking loss of his father has cast a shadow over what was supposed to be a momentous occasion for a young shuttler. 

As per the family source, Saitwiksairaj’s father passed away this morning. 

“It is extremely sad and unfortunate that Satwik has lost his father this morning," the source close to his family told PTI. 

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who was in Delhi for 43rd PSPB Inter-Unit badminton tournament and to receive Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, has reportedly headed back home in Andhra Pradesh to be with his bereaved family and for completing the final rites of his father. As per the reports, Satwiksairaj’s father complained of uneasiness in the morning and rushed to nearby hospital, where he was declared dead. 

Late R Kasi Viswanatham was a retired Physical Education teacher and played a pivotal role in the success of his son Satwiksairaj in badminton. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s father was himself a state-level player and his son followed his footsteps to become a badminton player. He joined Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad and decided to become a doubles specialist. 

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s career 

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, alongside his doubles partner Chirag Shetty, have been trailblazers in Indian badminton doubles. The Indian pair won the gold medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, 2023 Asian Games, and 2023 Asian Badminton Championships. Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty are the only Indian doubles pair to have achieved the No.1 ranking and clinched the World Tour Super 1000 title at Indonesia Open. 

Additionally, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy holds the world record for the fastest smash by a badminton player, reaching a speed of 565 km/h. He achieved this Guinness World Record at the Yonex Tokyo Factory in 2023. 

Recently, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty participated in the India Open, where they lost to Indonesia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin in the men’s doubles semifinal.