Satwiksairaj with his parents Rangamani and Kasi
Viswanatham.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Tragedy struck India’s champion doubles shuttler R. Satwiksairaj as his father Kasi Viswanatham passed away on Thursday morning following a cardiac arrest. He was 65 and survived by wife and two sons.
Satwik’s father, a retired physical education teacher, was travelling from Amalapuram to Rajahmundry airport to see his son in Delhi where Satwik was scheduled to receive the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (for 2023) later this week, according to K.Ch. Punniah Choudhary, former secretary of Badminton Association of India.
Kasi Viswanatham complained of uneasiness while on the way and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared ‘brought dead’. His second son is in the US and the cremation will take place on Saturday after the arrival of both sons.
The badminton fraternity recalled an emotional social media post of Satwik, when he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for recording the fastest smash by a men’s player (565 kmph in 2023), to show how much he is attached to his father.
Satwik had shared a video clip where he says “as my the shuttle soared at 565 kmph, I realised the true speed of a father’s pride — an unbreakable record in my heart”.
Published – February 20, 2025 05:45 pm IST
