Indian Shuttler B Sai Praneeth Retires From International Badminton

World Championships bronze medallist B Sai Praneeth on Monday announced his retirement from international badminton, bringing down curtains on a successful career during which he won the Singapore Open and also represented India at the Tokyo Olympics. The 31-year-old from Hyderabad decided to hang his boost after battling nagging injuries since the Tokyo Games. "With a mix of emotions, I pen down these words to bid farewell and announce my retirement from the sport that has been my lifeblood for over 24 years," he posted on his Instagram account.

"Today, as I embark on a new chapter, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the journey that brought me here.

"Badminton, you have been my first love, my constant companion, shaping my character and giving purpose to my existence. The memories we've shared, the challenges we've overcome, will forever be etched in my heart."

A post shared by Sai Praneeth (@saipraneeth92)

Praneeth will be beginning a new innings now as he is set to join as a head coach of Triangle Badminton Academy in USA next month.

"I will be joining April mid. I will be the head coach of the club, so I will be overseeing all the players there. Ofcourse, once I am there, we will discuss elaborately about the role," he told PTI.

In over a two-decade long international career, Praneeth had some fine moments but the 2017 Singapore Open Super Series win and the bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships in Basel, Switzerland were his crowning moment.

Praneeth reached a career-best ranking of world number 10 and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics but couldn't make a mark, losing all the matches to make a shock exit at the group stage.

"To my family - my grandparents, parents, and my loving wife Swetha - your