“He was physically in pain"- Indian badminton legend Pullela Gopichand talks about HS Prannoy's quarterfinal encounter at the Asian Games 2023
In a nail-biting quarterfinal match at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Thursday, October 5, H.S. Prannoy, India's top-ranked men's singles badminton player, scripted a remarkable comeback that not only secured him a spot in the semifinals but also assured India of another medal.
Pullela Gopichand, a legendary figure in Indian badminton and Prannoy's coach, took to Instagram to talk about Prannoy’s win. He summed up the significance of this victory by saying,
"Well, it's a huge win. I think Prannoy to get this medal is huge. Not only the medal, but also the way he fought to get it was tremendous.
The Indian coach also spoke about Prannoy’s match saying,
“I think the first game was a great game. He came back from down, he pulled out a wonderful first game, but second game he was up. Things were close, then he got those three net cords, in some sense, a bit unlucky. He hit a smash, which was slightly out.”
Despite a strong start, Prannoy’s victory did not come easy. The Indian shuttler won the first set with a score of 21-16. However, in the second set, despite having two match points, Prannoy saw his Malaysian opponent, Lee Zii Jia, snatch victory by a narrow margin of 21-23.
As the match headed into the decider, the excitement had reached its peak. Lee Zii Jia had three match points, and it seemed as though the momentum had shifted in the Malaysian shuttler's favor. However, Prannoy remained undeterred, kept his composure, and battled to stop his opponent from securing a victory.
Prannoy saved all three match points, defying the odds, and with both players pushing their limits on the badminton court, the match lasted a grueling 1 hour and 18 minutes. Prannoy ultimately emerged victorious and confirmed a historic medal for the country.
Prannoy fights through pain to secure victory
Earlier, in the men’s team event semifinal, the Indian shuttler suffered a back injury and had to sit out of the final. There were several concerns as to whether he would be fit to play the individual event.
During his short video, Gopichand spoke about this injury and how Prannoy fought through a lot of pain during the match,
“He was physically in pain, going through the back pain over time; his legs were hurting, and like to come back after that devastating loss in some sense, to come back and fight his way out for the medal on a heavy, slow court. I think there's something to really wonderful. I think hats off to him. Brilliantly well, and it's a huge win for him and for Indian badminton.”
This never-say-die attitude and resilience shown by the Indian shuttler will be a huge inspiration for athletes all over the world. As Prannoy prepares for his semifinal on October 6, fans will look forward to watching the athlete make his way into the final and eventually win a gold medal for India.