NEW DELHI: For many elite shuttlers, playing hard-fought matches is a regular occurrence. They navigate those challenges without much fuss. India's promising shuttler, Priyanshu Rajawat, is still a work-in-progress and getting first-hand taste of the gruelling demands. For that reason, his two outings in the ongoing India Open was a big learning curve.
The shuttler from Dhar, Madhya Pradesh might lack experience of playing at the highest level, but he has tall ambitions.
After a morale-boosting victory over senior compatriot Lakshya Sen and an engaging contest against HS Prannoy, he is keen on going higher. Currently ranked World No 30, he is mindful that the road ahead is going to be steep (in regards to Olympic qualification), but he's not giving up hope yet. He's also hopeful of breaking into the top-10 by the end of the year.
"I want to try and qualify for the Olympics this very year. But if I'm unable to achieve that, my wish is to break into the top-10 ranking by the end of this year. I want to play well at the All England Open and win a medal at the World Championships," the 21-year-old told this daily, when asked about his upcoming targets.
If one is to go by his India Open sample, he can certainly climb the rankings. Against Lakshya and Prannoy, he showed what he can bring to the table. His jump smashes, which fetched him plenty of joy, was a sight to behold and his ability to cover ground rapidly was also equally impressive. He's naturally stoked at the moment.
"Since this (event) was happening in India, I wanted to win at least two, three rounds more. My opening-round win was huge for me. For a long time, I hadn't had a good win. So that match (vs Lakshya) was vital for me to win and gain some confidence.
"I tried my best to win on Thursday (against Prannoy) as well. After pocketing the first game, I had some issues with my ankle. Despite that, I was trying my best to win the match."
Despite loads of promise, the transition phase can sometimes prove to be a painful one for many. But Priyanshu, a trainee at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA), has been unraveling the cheatcodes from elite players in the circuit and is in a happy place to improve further.
"Watching the seniors, I'm getting to understand how much they look after their bodies. I'm getting to learn about their food habits and sleep habits," Priyanshu, who regards India's historic Thomas Cup run in 2022 as one of his career highlights, assessed.
It was ill-luck that he suffered an injury in his aforementioned Round of 16 match against Prannoy on Thursday. Despite pocketing the first game against the World No 9, Priyanshu became powerless as Prannoy rallied to advance to quarterfinals at his expense. His hunger is evident as he points out things that he wants to add to his arsenal.
"I want to focus on my fitness and gain strength so that I can play more tournaments. I also need to develop patience. I also look at other shuttlers' games and analyse the same (bearing in mind he could face any shuttler at any given day),"Priyanshu, who's into meditation in order to stay calm and focussed, noted.
He's in safe hands at the moment as he is obtaining all the valuable inputs at the PGBA. "All the top-class players are there. All the youngsters can learn a great deal watching them operate. Gopi sir (Pullela Gopichand) is always looking out for us. We approach him if we have any problems. Seniors also guide us a great deal."
The spotlight will undoubtedly be on senior shuttlers like PV Sindhu and Prannoy at the moment. But Priyanshu is definitely one to keep a close eye on.