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World No. 27 and GoSports Foundation athlete H S Prannoy bagged the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold title, beating Germany's Marc Zwiebler in the finals 21-18, 21-15. Playing against the World No. 19 Marc Zwiebler, Prannoy was in control of the match from the beginning, eventually closing out the match in straight sets.
Earlier, Prannoy came through to the finals after a tough semi-final encounter against Tzu Wei Wang which he clinched in three sets - 12-21, 21-14, 23-21. Having missed a portion of last year's season due to injury, Prannoy began this year well with a gold in men's team event and a silver in Men's Singles at the South Asian Games.
Speaking after his win, Prannoy said, “It is a big win for me and I am very happy! Beating Marc Zwiebler, who is so much more experienced, and has been a former top 5 player, is a big confidence boost for me. Last year was tough, but I am happy with my performances this year. I hope to carry my form going into the India Open and the rest of the season. I am grateful to my coach - Gopi Bhaiyya for his guidance. I would like to thank the GoSports Foundation and my support team for assisting me and believing in my potential. I also want to thank my sponsors, Yonex, for their support."
Selected by the GoSports Foundation in 2011, Prannoy is currently being supported by the Foundation under its Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme. Through the years, the Foundation has assisted him with tournament travel expenses, injury management and rehabilitation support. He has also received personal mentorship from cricket legend Rahul Dravid.
Sharing her thoughts on the Foundation’s long association with Prannoy, Deepthi Bopaiah, Marketing Director, GoSports Foundation, said, “We are thrilled to see Prannoy doing so well. We have been working with him for the last 5 years and we have seen him grow as a player, and it feels good to see him realising his potential. Having battled an injury last year, he has come back strongly with some big wins this year. His spirit, enthusiasm and never-say-die attitude motivate us further as we nurture more talented young athletes, and work towards building a positive environment for them through the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme."
Having won this title in Switzerland, the 23-year-old is looking to carry the momentum through the year.
