Besides obscurity, Prannoy looks forward to play the All England Open

Prannoy might not have a single title from 2017, but have thrown some very impressive performances which took him into top ten in the world badminton rankings. He overcharged couple of big names, Kidambi Srikanth and Olympic champion Chen Long.

The 25-year-old has been struggling with injuries since start of the year. He feels making a comeback is a big challenge always. Yet, he is optimistic of the season ahead with major tournaments lined-up. “I have been out for a couple of months. I missed out a few tournaments this year and it is always hard to make a comeback.”

After being away for a weeks due to injury, Prannoy will straightaway enter the prestigious All England Open championship. “I feel the obscurity after the gap but looking forward to this tournament. With the training, I’m feeling better now and mentally I’m fit to play for the great event. Draws at the All England is tough followed by Commonwealth Games days later.” The unseeded Indian will face the 8th seeded Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei in the first round.

After having the clear picture of the Asian Games, Prannoy’s first priority is CWG. “Bigger events are the ones that change a sports person’s career. These two games come once in four years and there is lot of expectations from everyone. There is a lot of hype also.’’

About coach Pullela Gopichand, “He has hawk eyes in pointing out the mistakes, besides adapting to the situation. I admire and respect him. Being the player back then, he understands the injuries of the players. He knows well when to push and boost the confidence,” said Prannoy as quoted by Telangana Today.

Prannoy praises Srikanth for the rise of men’s badminton last year. “He won four super series titles last year, which is amazing. It’s not just about winning the game, but against whom one played. The dominance makes anyone a fearless player. And I feel like I got a couple of good chances to play against him in big tournaments and that’s why there was a little, but more hype for me also.

“Srikanth has raised the bar for other players. Now, it is not just entering quarter-finals but reach the finals. You really need to get to that last finishing line every now and then.,” he added.