HS Prannoy becomes only second Indian male shuttler to reach three consecutive BWF World Championships quarter-finals

Prakash Padukone was the first Indian to achieve this feat

India’s top ranked men’s singles player HS Prannoy stormed into the quarter-finals of the BWF World Championships 2023 by defeating 2021 World Champion Loh Kean Yew in three games. By the virtue of reaching the quarter-finals of the 2023 edition, HS Prannoy became the second Indian male player after Prakash Padukone (1880, 1983, and 1985) to reach three consecutive quarter-finals.

After an injury ridden career, HS Prannoy came back into the reckoning at the end of 2021 and was one of the last entrants at the BWF World Championships 2021. In the quarter-finals he was defeated by Loh Kean Yew, who ultimately went on to win the title by defeating former WR-1 Kidambi Srikanth. Prannoy took his revenge at the current edition in a closely-fought contest with the match lasting for over 70 minutes.

In the 2021 edition, three Indian male shuttlers reached the quarter-finals. In the following year, HSP once again couldn’t cross the quarter-finals barrier this time losing to Chinese Zhao Jupeng.

The 2023 season has by far been Prannoy’s most successful year, with him winning his first BWF Tour title – Malaysia Masters (BWF 500) and reaching the final of Australian Open (BWF 500). After back-to-back quarters losses, the Keralite will be up against mighty WR-1 Viktor Axelsen at the BWF World Championships 2023.

The first Indian to achieve three successive quarter-finals finishes, Prakash Padukone, won India’s first BWF World Championships medal in 1983 (bronze). He was the torchbearer of Indian badminton in the 1970s and 1980s and has several accolades to his name. Apart from wining a World Championships medal he also has two World Cup medals.

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