"I thought that I have to go out there and play my game" - Kiran George recounts experience of beating ninth-seeded Shi Yuqi

Kiran George became a household name after his famous victory against ninth-seeded Shi Yuqi at the Thailand Open recently. A player who has been on the rise in the recent past, Kiran's story is nothing short of inspiring.

The 23-year-old is one of India's brightest prospects for the upcoming tournaments. With some big-ticket tournaments coming up, India will be hoping that Kiran George can deliver when it matters the most.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Kiran opened up on the challenges he faced and his exploits against Shi Yuqi. Kiran spoke about how he was not the strongest of players but consistently worked on his strength training, the results of which are for the world to see.

"I was facing a lot of challenges while coming up from juniors to seniors. I was not as strong as the other players. I didn't sit back, I have been working on that and it has been giving me results."

Coming from a family of sportspersons, there was no pressure on Kiran but instead, his parents were supportive of him throughout his journey and have provided their assistance whenever needed.

"They were always supportive of me. My dad and mom were both athletes so they have always supported me throughout my journey and have been helpful in every way possible."

Speaking on how the younger players have an edge over their senior counterparts due to the availability of more content, Kiran elaborated on how they could identify the weak points which could go in their advantage.

"We can watch everything now on the internet and learn more about the opponents - the weak points that they have and their strong points. So I feel we have an advantage."

With big aspirations, Kiran has been working on the virtue of maintaining patience throughout the match, which he feels could be the key to him winning it big.

"I am working on being a little more patient. Just focusing on being more patient throughout the game - that's what I'm mainly working on."

Ahead of the Thomas Cup hosted in 2020, Kiran caught the eye of one and all at the selection trials. There, he got the better of highly-ranked and seasoned players such as HS Prannoy, Sameer Verma and Ajay Jayaram.

Sharing his experience of those trials, Kiran recounted that he simply had the belief that he could get over the line.

"I just believed in myself that I could beat them. I didn't give the fixtures too much importance or like listen to outside noise. I thought to myself that I could beat them and it happened."

In what was one of the biggest moments of Kiran's life, he pulled off perhaps the most unexpected upsets of all time, beating ninth-seeded Shi Yuqi in straight games. Narrating his thought process before the match, Kiran spoke about how his strong mentality helped him beat the Chinese shuttler.

"When I saw the draw that I was playing Shi Yuqi, world rank nine. I didn't think much of it. I thought that I have to go out there and play my game. After that, whatever happens, happens. So that helped."

On the topic of his increasing fanbase, Kiran is thankful for all the support he has recieved so far and urges his ardent fans to continue their support to help him reach greater heights.

"Really glad. Badminton is becoming more popular. The fans are supporting me throughout my career. Keep supporting."

Kiran's meteoric rise in the badminton arena has perhaps been long coming, courtesy of his hardwork and dedication. He will be looking forward to making his mark in future tournaments as well.