Olympic medal hopes in question as HS Prannoy falls out of top 10
Indian shuttler HS Prannoy has dropped out of the top-10 rankings just before the Paris Olympics. The latest BWF rankings, updated on Tuesday, June 18, saw the Kerala shuttler slip three spots to the 13th position in the men’s singles category.
This decline follows a string of underwhelming performances in recent tournaments. Prannoy’s most recent outing was a quarter-final defeat to Japan's Kodai Naraoka at last week's Australian Open.
Despite this setback, the 31-year-old remains India’s best-ranked men’s singles player, with Lakshya Sen closely trailing him in the 14th spot. In the women’s singles, PV Sindhu leads the Indian contingent, ranked at 12th.
On a brighter note, the dynamic duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are ranked third in the men’s doubles category, providing a positive highlight for Indian badminton.
HS Prannoy’s performance in 2024
HS Prannoy’s 2024 season has been far from ideal. The year began on a disappointing note with a Round-of-32 exit at the Malaysia Open.
However, he showed promise with a strong performance at the India Open, reaching the semi-finals before losing to Chinese shuttler Yuqi Shi. This semi-final finish remains Prannoy's best performance of the year. Unfortunately, his form has taken a dip since then, as he failed to reach the quarter-finals in any subsequent tournaments except for the Australian Open.
Prannoy is considered one of the frontrunners for the Indian contingent aiming for a medal at the Paris Olympics. However, his recent form is a cause for concern and could impact India's hopes for a podium finish.
India will be hoping that Prannoy can rediscover his form before the start of the Paris Olympics. With his experience and skill, the Keralite has the potential to bounce back and bring glory to the nation.