Badminton World championships | I’m not ready to give up the torch – Prannoy isn’t planning to fade away just yet
Badminton star H.S. Prannoy reflects on his career and the transition of leadership to the next generation of Indian players. Despite missing the World Championships, he remains committed to competing at the top level for a few more years.
Why it matters
This provides insight into the psychological and physical challenges faced by elite athletes during career transitions.
For over a decade, H.S. Prannoy has been Indian badminton’s quiet engine – the fighter who kept turning up, grinding and powering the country’s rise on the world stage when the spotlight was elsewhere. But this year, the story has moved on without him.
As the World championships arrive in New Delhi, the responsibility of carrying India’s flag has passed to a new generation – Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty – while Prannoy watches from the sidelines.
It’s a symbol of transition, and to his credit, the 34-year-old doesn’t dodge it. He’s candid, almost disarmingly so, even as he insists the torch hasn’t left his hands just yet.
“I’m not ready to give up the torch. I’ll still try for another year or two,” Prannoy told The Hindu .
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