As arch-rivals India and Pakistan battled each other in Birmingham on Sunday in the ICC Champions Trophy, another Indian was facing an uphill battle against an Indonesian opponent at the same time all the way in Bangkok. Sai Praneeth was a game down against wonderkid Jonatan Christie, who was threatening to put an end to Praneeth’s 10-match unbeaten run.
The 24-year-old dug deep and turned the tables on his opponent in the next game. At 15-15 in the second set, the stakes were high but the Indian pulled off a series of delicate shots to take the game at 21-18 and enter the decider.
The third turned out to be another see-saw battle as Christie raced into a handy five-point lead at 8-3, before Praneeth caught up with him at 9-9. As both shuttlers tired out, the lunges became more and more desperate with every passing point and the unforced errors started creeping in as well.
It was too close to call till the very end as the scoreline read 17-17. Praneeth looked to have the upper hand after winning two points in a row at that stage, but the 19-year-old shuttler clawed his way back with a couple of his own.
It doesn’t get any closer than this and it was at this stage that the Indian held his nerve. He knocked off the next two points to finish the match and make it two trophies in a row. “At 1-0 down, I knew I still had two games to go. I stuck to my plans, played to my strengths and I’m happy that I was able to win in the end,” Praneeth told Sportskeeda in an exclusive chat.
His spectacular achievement drew praise from all over the country, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Badminton Association of India president Himanta Biswa Sarma and a host of Indian players expressing their delight on social media. Praneeth stated that he is extremely grateful for their support and joked that he wished that the India-Pakistan match wasn’t taking place at the same time.
“It would have been better if my final didn’t clash with the cricket match as more people would have been able to watch my game,” he said. “But I am happy that despite such a huge game, fans took out time to see my match and congratulate me on Twitter.”
In April this year, he became just the second Indian male shuttler to lift a Super Series title as he defeated compatriot Kidambi Srikanth in an intense and hard-fought final at the Singapore Open. "My confidence has improved significantly," said Praneeth. "After the win in Singapore, I have been feeling much better about my game. I have worked hard on my fitness and endurance, and if I can continue to do so, I think I can win more and more titles.”
Praneeth is now preparing for the Indonesia Open Super Series tournament later this month, where he has a tough opening match against South Korea’s Son Wan-Ho. He is upbeat about his chances but is also aware that it will be really difficult. “It’s a Super Series competition and it will be tough to win every match. Anyone in the top 30 can lift the trophy. I will look to continue my good form and do as well as possible.”
Fans all across India will be looking forward to Praneeth’s opening match in Indonesia against the second-seeded Wan-Ho, which promises to be an electric encounter. Here's hoping he can pick up from where he left off in Thailand and make a strong run in the tournament!
Also read: Thailand Para-Badminton International 2017: Indian athletes pick up seven medals
