"He steps up on big occasions" - Coach Gurusaidutt confident HS Prannoy will bounce back after illness at Paris Olympics 2024

With just about a week to go before the Paris Olympics 2024, seasoned Indian shuttler HS Prannoy is not ready to let his physical challenges come in the way of his dreams.

Working relentlessly under his coach and former player RMV Gurusaidutt, the 2022 Thomas Cup winner is preparing for his best self at the Summer Olympics 2024, with India’s medal hopes pinned on him.

The 32-year-old Kerala shuttler fought off a chronic stomach disorder, a constant back injury, and, more recently, a week-long mosquito-borne viral disease while preparing for the Paris Olympics 2024 at the French capital.

With the recent setbacks, the coach is wary of Prannoy’s momentum going into the Olympics.

"The preparations that we started after the Australia Open, those are on point, we are on the right track," Gurusaidutt told PTI.

"The best thing about Prannoy in this entire journey is that though he was struggling, he was showing up for training and giving his best. Of course now, since he had another rough patch, it is not easy to get into the winning momentum," he explained.

After winning the bronze in the World Championships in 2023, Prannoy succumbed to back-to-back illnesses. Prannoy was hit with a peculiar stomach disorder that saw him crash out of multiple tournaments this year in the first round itself.

It was followed by a recurring back injury and a viral fever that left him weak. However, Gurusaidutt has immense faith in HS Prannoy to turn things around ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024.

"He has been that kind of a player who steps up on big occasions. He's done that multiple times over the last three or four years. So, as a coach, me and Gopi sir (national coach Pullela Gopichand) have that confidence in him," he said.

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Gurusaidutt remains hopeful of a good show from HS Prannoy

However, Gurusaidutt remains positive and believes that the recent setbacks will not have much effect on HS Prannoy's training schedule ahead of the Paris Olympics. He added that the coaching staff had incorporated some specialized workouts and training plans to address minor difficulties, mainly linked to speed and endurance during extended rallies.

"We wanted to introduce a few programs. Gopi sir thought he needed to play longer matches...Based on the last 3-4 tournaments, I particularly felt people were trying to push him [HS Prannoy] at the pace in terms of making him move quickly ..there is not too much time for him to get space between the shots," he said.

"So that was something that we thought we could make it easier for him in training. Otherwise, it was about getting him confidence, and getting his fitness levels up. Those were the major aspects," he concluded.