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HS Prannoy has mathematically cemented his berth in the Paris Olympics to be held later this year. India’s No.1 badminton star confirmed his qualification after Kidambi Srikanth failed to make the cut for the mega event after losing in the first round of the ongoing All India Badminton Open.
On Tuesday, March 12, Srikanth lost 9-21, 9-21 to Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen. Going by the rules, a nation can have a maximum of two players in badminton singles for the Paris Olympics and they need to be in the top 16 of the rankings published by April 28, 2024.
Prannoy is currently ranked No.8 in the world followed by the dynamic Lakshya Sen, who is 15th in the rankings. After losing to Axelsen, Srikanth, who is presently the No.28 player, lost his chance of breaking into the top 16.
Prannoy, on the other hand, lost 21-14, 13-21, 13-21 to Chinese Taipei’s Su Li-yang in the Round of 32 of the All-England Open. However, he is all set to make his debut in the Olympics after Srikanth crashed out.
HS Prannoy's impressive run since 2023
Prannoy made a memorable start to 2023 after winning his maiden Super 500 title at the Malaysia Masters. In the final, he defeated China’s Weng Hongyang 21-19, 13-21, 21-18.
Thereafter, he won the bronze medal in the World Championships where he lost 21-18, 13-21, 14-21 to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
In October, he won the bronze medal in the 19th edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou. He lost to China’s Li Shifeng in the semis.
As far as the Olympics is concerned, PV Sindhu and World No.1 men’s doubles pair – Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy – booked their tickets to Paris.
Sindhu won silver in Rio followed by bronze in Tokyo. She will now be looking to make a hat-trick of medals in the Olympics.
