He could also be one of many front-runners within the Olympic race however star Indian shuttler HS Prannoy would not wish to take into consideration Paris proper now and is as a substitute focussing on “short-term targets” like breaking into the world’s high three. The most constant Indian singles participant within the final 12 months, Prannoy, ranked world quantity 9, gained the Malaysia Masters in May and got here inside sniffing distance of bagging one other title in Sydney, earlier than ending runner-up finally week’s Australian Open.

“Right now, probably I am in a good position. I had a few decent tournaments post-May but I would say I am never satisfied and I always want to go out there and win big tournaments, that’s been always my ambition,” Prannoy advised PTI.

“Last couple of years, I have been consistently able to play quarterfinals and semifinals and now I am trying to make sure that I go that extra one more round and be in the final and win those tournaments.” The 31-year-old Indian, who reached three quarterfinals and a semifinal apart from the 2 finals this season, had achieved the world quantity 8 rating in 2017 earlier than well being points affected his sport as he plummeted to 33 in 2021.

However, the person from Thiruvananthapuram returned to the highest 10 in December final 12 months earlier than attaining a career-best world quantity 7 rating in May this 12 months.

“In the coming months that will be the challenge: to get into the top five, or be in the top three in the world, which I have never been able to do till now. I think that is the target as of now. I am not looking way ahead, at the Olympics,” Prannoy stated.

“Now the targets are much shorter, how we can perform next week or say World Championship or China Open, that’s the only target and the rest of things will take care of itself.” The subsequent project would be the World Championships (August 21-27) in Denmark, adopted by China Open Super 1000 (September 5-10) and the Asian Games (September 23–October 8) in Hangzhou.

Prannoy had quarterfinal finishes in final two editions of the World championships however he would not wish to put himself beneath any form of stress this time as restoration would be the key, particularly after coming from three successive tournaments.

“I am not really looking into the world championships as of now, I know it is just two weeks away. To be honest, we had three back-to-back tournaments — Korea, Japan and Australia,” he stated.

“I had a good three weeks of tournaments. Korea was also good but conditions were tricky, I couldn’t go past quarters.

“Japan and Australia had been excellent, I performed some good matches towards high gamers and to succeed in a remaining of a 3rd event is at all times robust bodily and mentally.” Prannoy, who played a pivotal role in India’s epic Thomas Cup win, reached the pre-quarters in Korea, and quarters in Japan before making the final in Australia.

“Looking ahead to the World Championships, we hardly have 10 days. With a busy schedule, it’s robust to get again to 100 per cent in such a brief span, however sure, I’ll attempt to get my physique prepared for the World Championships.

“But I am not really forcing myself in any way saying that I should perform really well in the World Championships, because we have to understand that we have to take care of the body first, because we have a really long season ahead.” The 12-month Olympic Qualification interval started on May 1, 2023. The qualification will run till April 28, 2024, with gamers throughout the globe competing week after week, preventing for the rating factors with the Race to Paris rating lists (as of April 30, 2024) used to find out the preliminary listing of qualifiers.

“I always think that if there was one qualification mark like athletics, like timing or number then you don’t have tension for six months or one year. But unfortunately, we don’t have that in badminton,” Prannoy stated.

“We will have to play the entire year and it is as simple as that, by the end of April 2024, you will have to be in the top 16 in the world, you have to be the top two from the country.

“But it is vitally hectic with the variety of tournaments we have now, we have now to plan nicely upfront. We need to be very positive about which occasions we have now to play, that’s the stress.” Eight times this year, Prannoy has recovered from an opening game loss and went on to claim the match six times, and he said he is reaping the rewards of the changes that he brought in his overall training.

“The previous couple of years, there had been loads of modifications. I’ve a crew of people who find themselves serving to me with loads of issues. One factor is to coach the psychological aspect of it, get more durable and not go away off the state of affairs.

“It was happening in the past where a lot of tough situations used to come against certain players and you are never in a mental state to fight against them. Those kinds of things have changed in the recent past.

“I’ve been in a position to work on it and that is why there have been loads of matches the place I’ve misplaced the primary sport and been in a position to come again in second and third sport and nonetheless been in a position to win matches.

“We are working on it, to deal with those kinds of situations, that’s why probably there has been a change in my game.”