Prannoy’s World Championships journey came to an end when he was defeated by Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the third-ranked player in the world, 21-18, 13-21, 14-21, in the men’s singles semifinal. He finished the tournament with a bronze medal.
HS Prannoy, a prominent Indian shuttler, admitted he was a little sad not to win the gold at the World Championships, but he stated the bronze medal meant a lot to him and was the “first starting step” towards the desired trophy. Prannoy’s World Championships run came to an end when he fell against Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the third-ranked player in the world, 21-18, 13-21, 14-21, and finished with a bronze medal. With the victory, India’s streak of having at least one medalist in the championship event since 2011 was extended.
Following the game, he remarked, “You always want to have those big medals in your hand. For me, this bronze medal means so much personally because it has been almost 12 years in the circuit.”
“Yes, you’re disappointed that you didn’t get the gold, but bronze is the first step in the right direction.” The 31-year-old Keralan praised his family and the coaching staff for their support.
“A lot of things happened this week as a result of a lot of individuals working very hard over the past few years. Thanks to everyone who has been practising with me day and night so that I can play better, as well as to my entire family who is supporting me from home, he said.
Because you spend the entire year on the circuit and seldom have time for family and friends, it can be difficult at times.
It is therefore good to have these kinds of pleasant recollections since they give you the drive to continue working when it would otherwise be quite difficult. Vitidsarn, a three-time former world junior champion, showed mental toughness and strong defence to secure a second straight final position after the 31-year-old Prannoy blew leads in the first game and the second by scores of 5-1 and 0-1.
Prannoy revealed that playing two three-game bouts that lasted about 70 minutes each took a toll on his physique before the game.
When you’re on the court, you can think you’ve done everything, but when the game is over, you might wish you had done more. I was physically unable to compete today; my legs weren’t in fantastic shape, said the ninth-ranked player in the world.
Men’s singles champion from India Shuttler got out to a strong start, but by the second game, indications of fatigue began to appear.
“I was trying really hard from the inside, and I wasn’t letting go easily, but credit to him he was putting in shuttle continuously at a good speed and not making any easy errors at any point,” he added.
“In the third game, the key first half was lost by me. Being down 5-1 is impossible. It is not simple to play 70 minutes straight for four days, therefore I must truly appreciate how my body handles such matches.
He can heal much more quickly because he is younger. However, I am really pleased with how this week’s events played out. Prannoy made history by being just the sixth Indian men’s singles player to win a medal at the World Championships, despite the fact that he lost.
The other medalists in men’s singles are Kidambi Srikanth (silver), Lakshya Sen (bronze), B Sai Praneeth (bronze), and Prakash Padukone (bronze).
