HS Prannoy: From overcoming physical issues to winning World Championships bronze
HS Prannoy had lost a gut-wrenching final at the Australian Open last month and was out for dinner with his team. But his mind was still on the court at the State Sports Centre in Sydney.
“I don’t really want to force myself to get over this immediately. Sometimes the sadness or the disappointment is also important,” Prannoy told this writer. “At 19-14, I should have won it. Maybe I will do so at bigger stages, when I won’t make the same mistake again,” he added.
At a career-high ranking of world No. 6, Prannoy can justly think of the bigger stages. He has now beaten everyone on the circuit and is perhaps the only player who has pushed Viktor Axelsen each time he has played him in the last few months. From suffering from the Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and finding it difficult to breathe to making it into the top six of the world badminton, Prannoy is a story of resilience and courage.
A day after Prannoy won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Denmark last week, national chief coach Pullela Gopichand put it in context. “This has to rank as one of the greatest victories of his career. Just think of the context.
Viktor at home in front of buoyant Danish fans. He had lost to Viktor twice in the last two months and the last loss was when he was in a winning position. Such losses scar you mentally. And here he was a game down. To win from there against the best player in the world is something Prannoy should forever be proud of,” Gopi said.
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