BWF World Championships: Decoding the career achievements of HS Prannoy
Indian shuttler HS Prannoy won the bronze medal at the 2023 BWF World Championships in Copenhagen. He defeated world number one Viktor Axelsen in the quarter-finals to ensure the bronze medal. However, he fell short against eventual champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semi-finals. Nevertheless, it was Prannoy's maiden World Championships medal, a momentous feat for the Indian shuttler. Here's more.
Prannoy has won 266 career singles matches
The 31-year-old has won 266 out of 439 matches in his career in the men's singles category. Besides winning the World Championships bronze, he also won the bronze medal at the 2018 Badminton Asia Championships. He has won the South Asian Games silver medal in 2016. In 2010, Prannoy won the Youth Olympics silver medal and also the World Junior Championships silver medal.
Prannoy has had a decent run
The world number nine has done decently in 2023, having bagged his first BWF World title in Malaysia. He reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 Badminton Asia Championships. Prannoy continued his run by reaching the semi-finals in Indonesia followed by quarter-finals outings in Chinese Taipei and Japan. He finished as the runner-up in the Australia Open. Prannoy has a win-loss record of 30-15 (2023).
Fifth Indian men's singles medallist at the BWF World Championships
Prannoy became the fifth Indian men's singles shuttler to win a medal at the World Championships. Prakash Padukone was the first Indian shuttler to win a medal at the World Championships when he won the bronze medal in 1983. B Sai Praneeth won the bronze medal in 2019. Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen won the silver medal and bronze medal, respectively, in 2021.
India's medal streak at the BWF World Championships since 2011
Prannoy's bronze medal this year at the BWF World Championships means that India's streak of winning at least a medal at the event since 2011 stays intact. Last year, it was Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who won the bronze medal in men's doubles. India have now won 14 BWF World Championships medals, which include, one gold, four silver, and nine bronze.
Here are his other significant feats
Prannoy won the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal in the mixed team event. He won two bronze medals at the Asian Team Championships in 2016 and 2020. The 31-year-old won the historic 2022 Thomas Cup gold medal. Prannoy won all of his five matches. He won two deciding matches in the quarters and the semis against Leon Jung Hao and Rasmus Gemke, respectively.
