Badminton
Olympics 2024: 'Lucky to be here,' says HS Prannoy after reaching pre-quarters
Just before the Paris Olympics, Prannoy, the tenth seed, was down with Chikungunya and spent five days in hospital battling the viral fever and muscle pain.
HS Prannoy defeated Brian Yang in the first round of the Malaysia Open Super 1000. (Photo Credit: File photo)
HS Prannoy is through to pre-quarterfinals and up for a big duel against fellow Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen in the Round of 16 at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
On Wednesday, playing his final Group K match against Vietnamese shuttler Le Duc Phat, Prannoy, the tenth seed, bounced back from a game down to claim a 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 win and reach pre-quarterfinals.
After his win in the match, while interacting with the media in the mixed zone at the La Chapelle Arena, Prannoy said he was lucky to compete in the Games. Before the Olympics, viral infection Chikungunya derailed his preparations for Paris 2024. He was down and hospitalised.
"I am lucky to be here, and experiencing such a big crowd and being able to play, so hopefully we can go deeper into the tournament," said Prannoy.
“Tough few weeks, but just glad to be here,” said Prannoy. “If that would have happened a week later, I wouldn’t have been here," he said.
“I was in hospital for five days. It was a lot of body pain and whenever chikungunya comes (it usually) stretches for three to four months, and that’s the toughest part," Prannoy added.
After losing the opening game, Prannoy got into the groove in the second game showing his mental strength and game craft. He came up with acrobatic retrievals when Duc Phat tested him with a crisscrossing game and hard smashes.
His wide reach, quick footwork and ability to move swiftly around the court helped him to overcome Duc Phat in the next two games 21-11, 21-12.
Prannoy's comeback win showed he got his agility back and fully recovered from Chikungunya. Prannoy was down with the viral infection just before his Olympic debut in Paris and spent five days in hospital battling fever and muscle pain.
Earlier this year, Prannoy had to deal with acid reflux, a condition in which stomach acid repeatedly flows back up into the tube connecting the mouth and stomach, which took a toll on his form.
Despite the health issues, Prannoy came to Paris well-prepared.
“Whatever time we got, we worked, and the entire team supported me. A lot of things weren’t in our control," he said.
