Prannoy battles back from illness for Paris Olympics

'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'

His body has been ravaged by a spate of illnesses, the most recent being a bout of chikungunya, but seasoned Indian badminton player H S 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 PTI.

"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.

"We wanted to introduce a few programs. Gopi sir thought he needed to play longer matches...Based on the last 3-4 tournaments, I particularly felt people were trying to push him at the pace in terms of making him move quickly"

"...there is not too much time for him to get space between the shots. So that was something that we thought we could make it easier for him in training. Otherwise, it was about getting him confidence, and getting his fitness levels up. Those were the major aspects," he said.

Elaborating on the need to step up his pace, Gurusaidutt said, "...we wanted work on it to prepare him for somebody playing some sharp shots, and cross-courts. So, it was meant to make him feel comfortable for those things.

"So, once he picks those up, he gets into his style, that's where the game changes usually. If somebody is pushing at him constantly, once he is out of that, once he survives it then he gets into his zone again."

"Flexibility and unpredictability will be key"

Gurusaidutt, a 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist, feels Prannoy also needs to mix things up, be flexible but not predictable.

"We should have a counter when someone is attacking him but also we need to make sure that he's not too defensive. He has to mix up a lot, not be predictable in one style of play."

Want to be a little pressure-free: Prannoy

It will be Prannoy's maiden Olympics and he said he wants to keep things "simple and usual" without taking unnecessary pressure.

"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 with PTI.

"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 and usual." 

• THE OLYMPICS, 2024