THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When India beat badminton powerhouse Indonesia for its maiden Thomas Cup title on Sunday, P Sunilkumar -- father of H S Prannoy who played a crucial role in the national team reaching the final -- was on cloud nine.
Sharing his joy, the retired Air Force officer from Akkulam in the capital told TNIE: “My son is a champion now. I am delighted and I have no words to express my feelings.”
Prannoy began playing the sport with his father at the age of eight when Sunilkumar used to play badminton at Shankhumukham and the Jimmy George indoor stadium. When he turned 10, Prannoy began training with the district sports council and later shifted base to Hyderabad at 16, Sunilkumar said. “I was his first guru. From a young age, I could recognise his talent for badminton. So I encouraged him to play more and train with badminton academies. It is his hard work and professionalism that has taken him to the Thomas Cup final and helped make the country proud,” he said.
Despite repeated efforts, Prannoy was unavailable for comment. The shuttler’s mother, Haseena, is an employee with KSFE. He has an older sister, Priyanka. The 29-year-old Prannoy became the toast of the nation on Friday when he produced a lion-hearted effort in the decisive fifth match against Denmark as India entered the title clash of the Thomas Cup for the first time ever with a 3-2 victory in an edge-of-the-seat semifinal in Bangkok.