I have been traveling to Hyderabad for years now, and it is always exciting to see the athletes train with Pullela Gopichand. But before the Thomas Cup win, it was always about Srikanth Kidambi or Sai Praneeth, or Satwik and Chirag in the men’s doubles. We knew Lakshya Sen was coming up, but few would speak much about HS Prannoy. Here was a man of talent, but one who had not done justice to his potential. Plagued by multiple injuries throughout his career, Prannoy, I think I can safely say, has had it harder than many others who started at the same time. For each, it is hard work. For Prannoy, it is that bit more. And now at 31, to see him mature like a fine single malt, I have to say it is hugely pleasing if you are an Indian sports analyst.
Prannoy is one of the nicest athletes you could come across. Someone who has done it the hard way. Having suffered injuries that might have forced many others to give up, Prannoy knows how difficult it is to achieve success. And grateful as well. He knows he isn’t young anymore, and everything that he does and gets won’t come easy. And as a result, he works the hardest. Ask Gopi, and he will tell you how dedicated Prannoy is. “He has the game,” said Gopi. “Always did. It is about him staying injury free and being fit enough to play every day of the week during Super Series tournaments. And he has mastered that with hard work. On his day, he can beat anyone.”
Gopi wasn’t there to watch Prannoy play Priyanshu Rajawat. He was out in a café relaxing. Guru [Sai Dutt] was there watching, and by the time I called Gopi, he had already spoken to Guru and got a detailed lowdown. “There was a bit of drift and it favoured one side,” said Gopi. “Could be that Prannoy found it slightly easier in the second game. The good thing for the final is that he won in two games. Against Weng Hong, it could get very physical and intense. And that’s where this can help. If Prannoy is physically there, he should get the job done.”
With the Olympic qualification cycle underway and Prannoy already doing extremely well, another title ahead of the World Championship could well be the icing on the cake. Already enjoying the highest ranking of his career, he can now power on and aim higher. In a fluid field – in which as Prannoy says, “Even the 30th-ranked can beat any of the top five players on his day” – anything can happen, and he will be more aware of this than anyone else.
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“I am aware that our country moves from one Olympics to the other, and unless you win an Olympic medal, you aren’t considered a great,” said Gopi. “Chirag and Satwik had an opportunity in Tokyo and missed out. They are right up there for Paris. For me, it is not really something devastating. What is important as a coach is how are they shaping up. How Prannoy is shaping up. If they are all fit, they will be tough for anyone to beat. They are all close to the very best, and will have a fair chance in the World Championships, Asian Games and then in Paris [the Olympics Games] in 2024.”
For Prannoy, this is his moment. He has beaten almost everyone except Viktor Axelsen in the last few months. And Axelsen, he did push in Japan just last week. A game up and 11-7 up against the world No. 1, it was Prannoy who lost it more than Axelsen winning it. It was more mental than anything else. He always knew he had the game. And yet, come the semi-final stage, he would lose a close match. That’s why this year is so important. For self-belief more than anything else. He now knows that he can also do it in Super Series competitions and perhaps in the Asian Games and the Olympics, and not just in the Thomas Cup, where he starred for India.
Ask him, and he will tell you something very important and interesting. “Gopi Sir has never pushed me for results,” says Prannoy. “He is always insistent on the process. As long as I am playing well, he is happy. He knows that if I can string together a bunch of good performances, important wins are just a matter of time.” And in the last week in Australia, he has taken out Li Shi Feng and Anthony Ginting in matches that have been physically intense and draining.
Having played all week, it is now evident that Prannoy does not get tired after long rallies. That he can beat any top player on his day, and has improved his temperament a few notches. Each of these things has happened because he has a robust process in place with Gopi by his side. He trains based on sports science. He plays long rallies, simulates match situations in training, and perfects particular strokes he needs to further improve on. That’s why he is no longer flustered in match situations. And on the cusp of his second Super Series title, Prannoy may well have turned over a new leaf. For the sake of Indian badminton, all of us will be hoping he has, for he now a real chance in Hangzhou and Paris.
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