HS Prannoy Crashes Out In India Open Round Of 32, Reflects On Chikungunya Disease After-Effects

HS Prannoy's life and career have been on rough tracks in the last few months, but this period of struggle has made him even more determined to keep working hard, for him the key ingredient in staying at the top echelons of world badminton. ' Injuries and health issues such as a chikungunya infection saw him making a pre-quarterfinal exit from the Paris Olympics, before a second round appearance Malaysia Super 1000 earlier this month offered a him sliver of hope.

But wheels came crashing down with a 21-16, 18-21, 12-21 defeat to Su Li Yang of Chinese Taipei in the India Open Super 750 here on Wednesday.

"The last few months were tough, but things are surely getting better. I can see improvement in my game as well. I think it's going to be a tough challenge for me to consistently play at a high level without breaks," Prannoy told reporters.

Reflecting on his recovery from chikungunya, Prannoy admitted the road back to full fitness has been difficult.

"Post-Chikungunya, it was really tough to get back to normal. Being on the court probably shows how bad the aftereffects were. I'm around 60-70% in terms of fitness. It was important for me to keep playing in the circuit and stay involved," he said.

"Malaysia was a decent outing, but I had a few niggles after that, which made today tough. But I'm happy to be back on the circuit. Today I was sluggish, but overall, I'm happy with the way I played. We're just getting started and focusing on playing well in the circuit," he added.

The 32-year-old now knows staying in the top-30 will require an immense physical and mental effort, considering the average age of players at the highest levels dropping drastically.

"I do love playing in tournaments. I know being in the top-30 in the