His body has been ravaged by a spate of illnesses, the most recent being a bout of chikungunya, but seasoned Indian badminton player HS Prannoy is unwilling to let it come in the way of a dream Olympic debut that is happening a tad late in his career.
He is focussed on building his stamina for the grind that awaits him in Paris later this month and helping him is his coach and former player RMV Gurusaidutt.
The 32-year-old Kerala shuttler, a 2022 Thomas Cup title winner and a world and Asian Games bronze-medallist, has battled past a chronic stomach disorder, a nagging back injury, and more recently a week-long bout of the mosquito-borne viral disease.
“The preparations that we started after the Australia Open, those are on point, we are on the right track,” Gurusaidutt told the media.
“The best thing about Prannoy in this entire journey is that though he was struggling, he was showing up for training and giving his best. Of course now, since he had another rough patch, it is not easy to get into the winning momentum,” he explained.
But Gurusaidutt is confident nonetheless and does not feel that the latest illness will trigger “too many changes” in Prannoy’s training routine.
“He has been that kind of a player who steps up on big occasions. He’s done that multiple times over the last three or four years. So, as a coach, me and Gopi sir (national coach Pullela Gopichand) have that confidence in him.”
Following the high of his world championship bronze in 2023, Prannoy was laid low by another stomach disorder, a condition which was similar to the chronic acid reflux problem that he had suffered in the past. Such was complexity of his illness that it was difficult for him to have a meal without wanting to throw up later.
The result was six first-round exits and a semifinal and a quarterfinal appearance this year. But he has persevered.
Gurusaidutt said the coaching team has introduced some specific drills to address the minor issues, mainly related to speed and enduring long rallies.
“I think everyone just wants to talk about Paris. But I just want to be a little bit more pressure-free, kind of enjoy it a little bit more and just take it as one more tournament in my career,” Prannoy had said during an earlier interview.
“So from a preparation point of view, I think for me it’s really important to kind of get back to basics... I was not there mentally in a lot of matches. So I think that’s what I tried to do and just try to be a little bit more simple than usual.”
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