HS Prannoy has announced an indefinite break from badminton, due to health problems bothering him all the while, especially his latest health issue after recovering from Chikungunya. This decision came thereafter in a torrid time period, within which he bowed out in the early rounds of the Paris 2024 Olympics with debilitating pain from the long-standing illness.
Prannoy announced his sabbatical as a priority to get himself fit and healthy after claiming to have been troubled by pain and fatigue due to Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease. The 32-year-old badminton player said this disease altered his performance and also caused him to face a drubbing in the Round of 16 against his fellow Indian player Lakshya Sen in the Olympics, to whom he could give a tough fight only initially during the match.
On August 26, Prannoy took to social media to voice the issues he had been in for Chikungunya: “Unfortunately, the fight with Chikungunya finally caught up on my body, and I am still dealing with frequent pains that make it not possible to compete at the best level”. He made it clear that he had a word with his team and decided to pull out to concentrate on recovery.
Although it is not specified exactly which tournaments Prannoy will miss, one might expect that he is likely to miss big events such as the Hong Kong Open and the China Open before September. His loss in these competitions indeed reflected his health problem on his sports career.
Yet Prannoy has emerged as the spearhead in men’s singles badminton. He has ensured India some big victories on the international arena: first, coming up with a bronze at the 2023 World Badminton Championships and then helping India win the Thomas Cup for the first time in 2022. His decision at this juncture can be termed rational for his long-term health and performance.
Prannoy is grateful to the support he received from his fans at this time and has assured them that he is doing everything to return to the court even stronger. The break might help him in the long run as he tries to get back to his top shape and fight form back again.
