From being one of the most promising young Indian shuttlers, HS Prannoy came a long way in just a couple of days when he beat former world No 1 Taufik Hidayat and gave reigning world No 1 lee Chong Wei a good challenge in the ongoing India Open. The Delhi-born 20-year-old talks to Garima Verma
. This year you were ranked your best at 68. At 76, you beat Taufik Hidayat, whom world No 7 P Kashyap also could never beat. Even lee Chong Wei praised you for giving him a fight. Does that give you an opportunity to start planning future in a big wayIJ
I am actually not thinking much about the future right now. I am taking one match at a time right now, then probably after some time I would take one tournament at a time. That is what even Gopi bhaiya (national coach Pullela Gopichand) tells us that right now we should be thinking more about how we play, what are drawbacks and how we can improve. We can always think about future when the time is right. I play Malaysia Open after this. India Open has turned out good for me. I played Taufik and lee Chong back-to-back. The way lee played after trailing 18-13 is how experienced players play. They can come back at any time. That is the kind of confidence they have. After playing in Malayasia, I have a long break and probably then I can think about what all I learnt and what went wrong.
. From a first round exit at India Open last year to making headlines this time, how have you developed as a playerIJ
I have started reading the conditions in a better way. I have learned how Super series are different than national level tournaments. The crowd is also very different. Now when I play I am not hinking about winning, but playing to give my best. When you don’t think about winning you definitely play better. Now I understand how to play with different players.
. How badminton happened to youIJ
My dad, who was working with the Air Force in Delhi, used to play badminton at their sports complex. He was quite passionate about the game, still is, coaches some students as well. After retiring also he used to go there and play. He still goes sometimes. I used to go with him. Then once I went to a badminton summer camp, where the coach was very good with basics. Then for a couple of years I just kept playing various age tournaments and then I moved to Hyderabad (national coach Pullela Gopichand’s academy).
. Were you sure you would actually make a career out of itIJ
Not sure actually. We were too sound financially and travelling around for the tournaments required some deal of money. So, I was playing tournaments but not many national level tournaments as they required travelling around the country. I was mostly playing state level tournaments and performing well in them after which I gradually started playing at national level. Starting phase wasn’t very great frankly. It was only when I was around 15-year-old that I started winning. At the same time I was good in studies as well. I scored quite well till the 10th standard (87 per cent in 10th board exams). So, that phase was very confusing, as I wasn’t sure which way to go. Then I told my parents ‘badminton you can’t play at any age, this is the right age and studies you still can do anytime’. I asked them to let me play for a couple of years and see how it turns out and if it wasn’t worth it I would leave.
. How and when did you make the final move of shifting to Hyderabad for badmintonIJ
It was around 2009 that I had become sure that badminton was what I wanted to do and I shifted to Hyderabad. There Gopi sir told me that ‘studies are secondary now and your first job is badminton.’ There were so many tournaments happening that badminton was only thing I was doing. And, 2010 world juniors was a great boost. That turned my life around. I wasn’t even sure of making it to the team. But somehow I won a close quarterfinal match, reached the semifinals and got selected for the Youth Olympics where I reached the final and took the silver. That changed my life completely as so many people started knowing me. I remember it was such great atmosphere there in Singapore. A lot of Indians had come to support me.
. After that….
After juniors finish it is still a tough job to get into the senior level. It took me two years. I played a lot of good matches with top players but wasn’t able to beat them. I wasn’t that consistent and fitness wise also I was not that good.
. And how has been the journey till now where you are being applauded as the one who beat TaufikIJ Was there a moment of regret everIJ
I never regretted playing badminton. In 2010 I had prepared a lot for this one tournament — badminton junior championships — but I lost in initial rounds. That was very disappointing for me as that was the first tournament to qualify for the Youth Olympics. I was so upset that I didn’t prepare myself much for the world champions and went to just enjoy myself. And I played my best…. Some time you feel why you should be working hard at all but later you realise your moment would come for sure if you keep working hard.
. Immediate aimsIJ
I am definitely planning to break into top 40 or 30 in this year. But for that I need to play a lot of tournaments. And not only play but play good enough to win a couple of matches in most of them. I need to win those close matches. If you lose 21-19, you still lose. I have lost so many close matches in the past that had I won them I might have been somewhere else. You have to focus on that one match, that one win which could change it all for you.
. To become a top player you have to beat a number of Chinese players…Where are we lackingIJ Skills or just fitnessIJ
I think it’s just fitness levels. When it comes too skills we are equally equipped. They are structurally a bit superior. They physical structure is such that they are more flexible. We need to workout for that. That is the only difference. Right now we are not much behind. Even Chinese guys are cracking is different conditions and only one or two top players are playing well consistently. We just need to train harder to reach their fitness levels.
. How you manage to strike a balance between badminton and booksIJ
Till 10th I was studying regularly but after that I wasn’t able to. I was devoting more time to the game. Studies were very important in my house. My dad (Sunil Kumar) and mom (Haseena) would always tell me to score good marks. In 11th I took Commerce and that was when I told them that I won’t be able to score very well but I would manage to pass and be happy with what I get. Even they were very supportive. They told me ‘just pass but play well’. Then I got a job with ONGC due to badminton after 12th. That was a very good boost for me. I didn’t have the tension of getting a job which is so important in our country. I am pursuing BA in public administration through Indira Gandhi Open University now as accounts and other subjects in Commerce were proving tough.