“Learn to Be Patient” — Indian Shuttler H. S. Prannoy’s Advice to Upcoming Players

Pune, 17th September 2025: “Currently, lakhs of children across India are playing badminton. Rising to the top from among them is not an easy task. Therefore, it’s important to learn patience. Your hard work will definitely bear fruit,” said India’s experienced badminton player H. S. Prannoy.

Prannoy was in Pune to attend the prize distribution ceremony of the District-level Super 100 Ranking Badminton Tournament, organized by the Rotary Club of Pimple Saudagar in association with the Rama Group. The tournament was held at ACE Arena Sportsland in Aher Nagar, Walhekarwadi, Chinchwad, and Gravity, Punawale.

Speaking at the event, Prannoy, currently ranked world no. 3, said, “Badminton is a fast-paced sport. You need to know how to plan your tournaments for the entire year. Maintaining consistency and staying competitive for a long time is not easy. It’s also an expensive sport, which requires solid financial planning. In such a context, organizations like Rotary deserve appreciation. Identifying talented youngsters and supporting them to reach international tournaments is
crucial. Such support from across the country is necessary, because India is not short of talent. Institutions like Rotary should come forward to help players so that we can produce world-class athletes for future Olympics and World Championships.”

After the ceremony, he distributed autographed shuttlecocks to the participants, which brought immense joy to the young players. He also spent some time playing with them, further encouraging the budding talent.

Speaking about recent competitive matches, he praised Lakshya Sen, mentioning their exciting duels in recent times. He also expressed optimism for India’s future in badminton with emerging players like Ayush Shetty. Prannoy admitted that he has struggled with consistency in the past few months. “After 30, it’s not easy to play the same way as before. There are definitely limitations, but players strive to overcome them,” he added. He emphasized that staying injury-free over a long career is extremely challenging. However, he clarified that he is not considering retirement and plans to continue playing for a few more years.

Prannoy, aged 33, has won a bronze medal at the World Championships, played a key role in India’s historic gold medal win at the 2022 Thomas Cup, secured a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, and has won two medals at the Asian Games. He expressed satisfaction with his career achievements.