The 2023 BWF World Championship turned out to be the moment of reckoning for India's highest-ranked shuttler H.S Prannoy. Having missed the medal on a few occasions, Prannoy won a bronze medal in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Saturday.
The medal got the 31-year-old into an elite list of Indian shuttlers to bag a medal at the mega event.
En route to his maiden World Championship medal, Prannoy outplayed the reigning Olympic champion and World No.1 Viktor Axelsen in the quarterfinals. He had previously defeated Axelsen on two occasions -- the World Tour Finals, and the 2021 Indonesia Masters.
The 31-year-old reached the finals of two events on the BWF Tour this year. He won his first BWF title this May at Malaysia Masters and then went on to lose his second final at the Australian Open after an epic, intense three-game battle with China's Weng Hong Yang earlier this month.
Prannoy has now emerged as a force to reckon with. His vast experience, exceptional skills, and unwavering attitude give him a competitive edge that allows him to outshine his opponents. He is currently performing at the peak of his abilities and has the potential to surprise the top contenders at major tournaments.
After the World championships, Prannoy has set his eyes on the upcoming Asian Games, scheduled next month. "It's a big event for all of us and we would definitely want to go out there and perform well in China," he said.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Prannoy talked about the elusive world championship medal, his thoughts on his game and more. Excerpts:
Q. How significant is this bronze medal when you look ahead, particularly in terms of the Olympics next year?
A. Yes, I think for me personally, it's a big medal. I think it's a medal which kind of shows all the hard work over the years. I think that kind of shows a bit with this medal, with the world's medal. And I'm really happy that I could get it at this point of my career and at this stage of my career and probably getting into an Olympic race also. I think this will be a very crucial medal going ahead...
This gives me a lot of confidence and I think, it will definitely help to perform better in the coming tournaments.
Q. Besides Thomas Cup heroics, is your World Championships medal something you view as a pivotal moment in your career?
A. Yes, definitely. I think Thomas Cup Gold and World Championship bronze are definitely up there in my top three achievements. I think these two events have given immense happiness to me personally and I think I will cherish this medal for a very, very long time.
Q. Looking at your current form, you are arguably the best medal hope for India in men’s singles (Asian Games and 2024 Olympics). Do you take it as a challenge or as a motivation?
A. I think, it's always a motivation where people expect you to do well. Not many are getting the perks of having the hopes of a lot of people outside the fact that they're trusting you. They're trusting your instincts. They're trusting your skills to go out there and play the best.
So, that's a privilege to have and I would say I'm very grateful to have that kind of pressure coming in and to be India's number-one player.
It's not easy because there are so many of them playing badminton in our country and to be the top-most ranked player from our country is a proud, proud, proud feeling. And getting into the tournaments, you definitely have to be very, very focused, and consistent to get these kinds of results again and again. I think, I just have to keep working with myself on that and keep getting better.
Q. You have earned a reputation as a 'giant slayer' in the last year as you defeated some big guns in the tournaments. Does that create a pressure of expectations when head into major tournaments?
A. It doesn't. I think it doesn't give that extra pressure as such because I know very well to a fact that if I play well on a particular day, then I can beat anybody. The only thing that I focus on is how well I can prepare, how well I can prepare my body for a particular event and that's all I think about. I am totally okay with the losses which come on the way. You just take it and learn from it and then go again.
Q. You have defeated Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the quarterfinal and you have defeated him twice in the past. How do you see Axelsen as an opponent?
A. He is a very tough opponent, obviously, because he is World No.1 and he has been able to win constantly. He has been able to win big tournaments out there. It's never easy to play against somebody like Victor Axelson, who is so experienced at this level. Yes, beating him in the World Championship was a good victory for my confidence because he is one of the best.
Not just this year, I think the last two and a half, three years, he has been consistently at the top. So, it always gives an extra bit of motivation and happiness when you beat somebody who is at that level.
Q. Do you think this is the best phase of your career so far?
A. Probably, yes, I don't think I have played this consistently ever before. I couldn't play two finals in a row before. I think those kinds of results never came back in the days. So probably this could be one of my best phases.
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