India Open: Despite Ill Luck, Prannoy Soldiers On

For just the briefest moment after his first round loss, HS Prannoy appeared to struggle with the question of how, despite the terrible luck he’s had with his health in recent times, he’s managed to keep his motivation. He paused, and perhaps emotion was breaking through the stoic surface… but before it could overwhelm, control returned. The cloud passed, and Prannoy resumed speaking with the same even tone that he had started with.

“It’s tough,” Prannoy said. “I don’t dwell on the past but focus on getting better. I’ve accepted that everyone’s journey is different, and I have to find my own answers. I’m ready to work hard regardless of the results. I am ready to put in the hard work, and some tournament or the other, hoping it all clicks in a tournament.

HS Prannoy

After a standout 2023, and while in the reckoning for a strong showing at Paris 2024, the Indian suffered a recurrence of a previous acid reflux condition, and then an attack of chikungunya, which weakened him and all but wrecked his Paris ambitions. He’d spend the rest of the season recovering.

The PETRONAS Malaysia Open last week was his first tournament since Paris, and while he did impress – with a win over Brian Yang and a hard-fought loss to Li Shi Feng – Prannoy assessed his condition at 60 per cent. That level wasn’t going to be sufficient against Su Li Yang in the first round of his home YONEX-SUNRISE India Open. Prannoy was outplayed in 73 minutes.

“Not much to say,” he sighed, about his health troubles. “Most people know what happened throughout the year. Post-chikungunya, it was tough to return to normal work. It took two to three months to just get back on the court, which shows how bad the after-effects were. It’s a tough spot to be in as an athlete with many uncertainties regarding physical health.

“But a lot has been addressed, and I am now around 60 to 70 percent fit. It is important for me to just keep playing on the circuit. Malaysia Open was a decent tournament for me. But here there were some ankle niggles. It was looking tough today, but I’m happy to be back.

“There were a couple of issues post-Malaysia, and my ankle was not 100 per cent. My movement was sluggish, which was expected given how I entered the tournament. Overall, I’m happy with my performance.”

Su Li Yang

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“Right now everything is good but now I have to do it while being better focussed. I don’t think about the things that have already passed. I want to do my best in the present. I think that the beginning is from now.” – An Se Young

“Considering my current state physically, I think it was a very good win for me. I’m not at all in top shape. I’m playing at maybe 60-70 per cent at the moment, so at this tournament, every match for me is a bonus.” – Viktor Axelsen

“Still trying to adjust to the temperature here. We knew before came here that it would be cold, but it’s still hard to adjust. It takes a bit of time to get warmed up. It’s a bit of a challenge here. But as the match goes on it gets comfortable.”Lai Shevon Jemie

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