HYDERABAD: Sports isn’t an easy field — years of focus, sacrifice, and hard work go into clinching medals for one’s country. Despite all the hardships, young sportsmen, time and again have made India proud on the international arena. And badminton champion HS Prannoy, who won bronze medals at the 2023 World Championships and at the 2022 Asian Games, is one such shining star. At the recent inauguration of the Victor experience centre, the shuttle star spoke to CE exclusively about his journey, years in Hyderabad, and more.
Tell us about your journey as a badminton player.
I’ve been playing badminton professionally for 22 years now. After I shifted to Hyderabad about 15 years ago, my career graph improved due to the opportunities here; I was very lucky to be a part of that group being trained by Pullela Gopichand sir. There are two to three years of good badminton left in me and there are a lot of things I want to achieve.
Can you take us through your practice sessions, daily routine, and diet?
My daily routine is fixed: Wake up at 7 am, practice from 9 to 11 am, finish lunch, another session from 3 to 5.30 pm. The last five years have been more lenient because from 27-years onwards, 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 as a sportsperson, discipline is key. Diet, training and recovery are important. Playing on the court is secondary to these. Today, there is a lot of information available on social media, making it easier to learn.
What are the challenges that you came across in this journey?
I think the first challenge comes when you are at school and in a position where you want to study and play. Sports is a risky field — one out of 100 kids may eventually make it to the top five and the rest 99 are left 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 when it came to the decision-making. 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 is up and down; most of the time, it is down. You should understand that this is how sports is.
Who is your inspiration in the field of sport?
To be honest, there is no inspiration — to be doing this every single day is mentally very tough. Be it sports or any other profession, doing it for a very long time in a certain way is very taxing for the mind.
You have to find your motivation every day. I read motivational books and watch shows where sports players like Novak Djokovic and several others, 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.
What do you think about Hyderabad?
I like Hyderabad because it is comfortable and I am someone who likes slow cities, not fast-paced places like Mumbai and Delhi. Over the last 10 years, I have learnt Telugu also.
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, with many kids taking up badminton. This was very important for the sport because back in those days, there were no sponsors but today, there are brands like Victor. For such brands to come to India shows the growth of the sport. They give players good confidence.
What is the message you want to give young players?
Work hard, be it in sports or any other field you are in. Secondly, do not compare yourself with others. Every individual’s journey is different. Sometimes, things might come late to you but that doesn’t mean that you don’t work hard. If you are constantly at it, someday, you will definitely get good results. Just be calm and wait for it.
Was there a time you wanted to give up?
Yes, there were multiple times when I told my parents I wanted to stop. When things don’t go well and you are not mature enough to handle it, you just want to stop playing the sport and hide from all the comments. But over the last five years, I have changed totally as a person.
I understood the fact that defeat is just a part and parcel of the process. Though I was demotivated, I still kept going. I would keep short goals and achieve them and would also constantly match the standards of the juniors.
How would you define success?
Anything that gives you happiness is success. If I am able to motivate or encourage even one youngster to pick up the racket and play, that for me is success. If someone comes and says, ‘I picked up the sport because of you,’ that would make me the happiest ever.
