BENGALURU: Sports isn’t an easy field – years of focus, sacrifice, and hard work go into clinching medals for one’s country. Despite the hardships, young sportsmen have made India proud on the international arena. Badminton ace HS Prannoy, who won bronze medals at the 2023 World Championships and at the 2022 Asian Games, is one such shining star. He speaks to CE exclusively about his journey.
Tell us about your journey as a badminton player.
I’ve been playing badminton professionally for 22 years. I was lucky to be trained by Pullela Gopichand sir. There are two to three years of good badminton left in me and there is a lot more I want to achieve.
Can you take us through your daily routine?
My daily routine is fixed: Wake up at 7am, practice from 9 to 11am, finish lunch, another session from 3 to 5.30pm. The last five years have been more lenient because I started taking care of my body differently. You cannot push yourself and train like you did when you were a junior. I am trying to find a balance between sports and family life. If you want to have a long career, discipline is key to success.
What are the challenges that you came across?
I think the first challenge is in school, where you want to study and play. Sports is a risky field – one out of 100 kids may make it to the top five and the rest 99 stay somewhere in the middle. It is especially risky in India, where you don’t have enough support at the grassroots level. But my parents were very supportive. There will be many times when you are injured and might not be able to play like how you have to. You just have to hold on and trust that things are going to change. It is a cycle which has ups and downs; most of the time, it is down. You should understand that this is how sports is.
Who is your inspiration?
To do this every single day is tough. You have to find motivation every day. I watch shows where players like Novak Djokovic, who’ve been at their best for the last 20 years, share their experiences. Such individuals have always been an inspiration when times are tough.
How has badminton evolved?
It has grown a lot, thanks to many players out there such as Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, who are torchbearers of the sport. Them getting Olympic medals made the sport more visible. This was very important for the sport because back in the day, there were no sponsors. But today, brands like Victor come to India, which shows the growth of the sport.
What message would you want to give young players?
Work hard, be it in sports or any other field you are in. Do not compare yourself with others. Sometimes, things might come late to you but that doesn’t mean you don’t work hard. If you are constantly at it, someday, you will definitely get good results. Just wait for it.
Was there a time you wanted to give up?
There were multiple times when I told my parents I wanted to stop. But over the last five years, I have changed as a person. I understood that defeat is just a part of the process. Though I was demotivated, I kept short goals to keep going.