Indian shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat wins maiden BWF World Tour Super 300 title at Orleans Masters
India’s shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat clinched his maiden BWF World Tour Super 300 title after defeating Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen in a thrilling finale to the Orleans Masters 2023. The Indian badminton player won 21-15, 19-21, 21-16 in a grueling 68-minute summit clash to claim the biggest win of his career.
Priyanshu, who was really ecstatic after the win, stated, “I am very happy with my performance this week. It is my first big title, and I’m extremely happy to win this.” Priyanshu, ranked 58th in the world, demonstrated flawless attack in all his matches. Priyanshu Rajawat, who faced Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen in the semi-finals, had little trouble as the Indian shuttler won the game in two straight sets (21-12 and 21-9).
A trainee at Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad since 2010, Priyanshu Rajawat modeled his game along the lines of his senior peers like Kidambi Srikanth and H.S. Prannoy. As a player, however, he is more influenced by Sameer Verma’s reflex defense. Against Nguyen, his idea to bring the Irish shuttler closer to the net benefited him by several counts, with Priyanshu stretching his body and plundering crucial points from attacking positions.
Priyanshu’s victory brought joy to the entire Indian badminton field. Sports Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia congratulated Priyanshu. “MP is making its strong presence felt at the international level almost in every game. He has made all of us proud,” said Scindia.
Priyanshu, who has long been touted as a promising talent in the national circuit, was part of India’s Thomas Cup-winning squad last year.