Gargi Raut in New Delhi
The India Open tournament starts on Tuesday, January 16, and it’ll be the perfect opportunity for the Indian shuttlers to add some confidence and points to their name in order to qualify for the Paris Olympics. HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen addressed the media before the tournament commenced and gave insights into what their preparation looks like.
Road to Paris Olympics
Prannoy is hoping to continue on the momentum from 2023 and is only focused on consistency. Winning games is the foremost priority for India’s No. 1 men’s singles shuttler. Unlike the champion duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who have made it clear that they will be picking and choosing the events they want to play ahead of the Paris Olympics, Prannoy wants to get as much game time as possible and win matches.
“I’m trying to train as much as possible and be in the best physical condition,” said Prannoy when asked what he would do differently in 2024. “For me, it is extremely important to be in the best physical condition.”
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Playing at home
“There’s an added pressure because the home crowd expects you to win,” said Prannoy talking of the support that is expected to turn up in big numbers. “But more than that, it’s a motivation that when you look at the crowd and see that many fans supporting you. It gives me extra energy to perform every time.”
Preparation
Lakshya Sen, who had a topsy-turvy 2023 season, said he felt like an underdog heading into 2024, and that there was the pressure of knowing that he only has until April to put up his best performances and punch his ticket for the Paris Olympics. “The past few weeks of training have been very good, and it’s just a matter of time until it translates into performance,” said Lakshya. “I am focusing only on one match at a time.”
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EXCLUSIVE: Star Indian shuttlers H.S Prannoy and Lakshya Sen give insights into their preparation for qualifying for the Paris Olympics ahead of the India Open tournament!@gargiraut15 reports.@Pebble_India @BAI_Media #IndiaOpen2024 pic.twitter.com/KnWAfFox5c
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) January 15, 2024