Five memorable achievements of Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth

The 28-year-old is set to participate in the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics.

B Sai Praneeth will be vested with the responsibility to lead the Indian male Badminton contingent at the Tokyo Olympics in Kidambi Srikanth's absence. The shuttler has mostly remained in the shadows till now, however, will have a golden opportunity to shine on a global stage.

He has shown steady growth in his game by winning important events. Praneeth has stood tall against world-class players and the Indian fans will hope that he comes up with a strong showing at the Olympic Games. The Arjuna awardee will be the lone warrior in the men's singles event at the Olympics for India.

Here are the five most memorable achievements so far in his career.

5. Bronze at the World Junior Championships

At the age of 18, Sai Praneeth bagged the Bronze medal at the 2010 BWF World Junior Championships in Mexico to announce his arrival as a prodigious talent. He was also one of the earliest students of Pullela Gopichand, whose two-years long training inspired Sai Praneeth to clinch the Bronze.

His performance at the BWF World Junior Championships proved that he was a prodigy in the making. This was the beginning of a long and illustrious journey for him.

4. Silver at the Swiss Open

2019 was a turning point in Praneeth's career as he turned into a contender in bigger events. A number of flawless games saw him reach the finals of the Swiss Open.

His best performance in the tournament came against Chen Long, when he defeated the reigning Olympic champion and World No. 5 in the semifinals. He won 21-18, 21-13 to advance to the final, where he faced Chinese shuttler Shi Yuqi. However, Yuqi displayed impressive grit, defeating Sai Praneeth 21-19, 18-21 and 12-21 in the final which went on for an hour and eight minutes.

Although he did not win the Gold, Sai Praneeth displayed a memorable performance and clinched the Silver.

3. Gold at the Thailand Open

Sai Praneeth was rising through the ranks during 2017 as he strived at the Thailand Open Grand Prix, clinching the Gold medal. He was exceptional throughout the calendar year and made the most out of it at the Thailand Open. The shuttler lost only one game in his way to the final where he defeated Indonesian star Jonatan Christie in a nail-biting match.

Praneeth won 17-21, 21-18, 21-19 in the final. He had plenty of nerves to start with and hence failed to capitalise on an early lead. On the other hand, Christie made no mistake and won four consecutive points to grab the first game.

The second game began with the Indian dominating but Christie came back fiercely. Praneeth held his nerves and won the second game. The deciding game was another cracker as both players did not give in an inch. However, it was the Indian shuttler who came out on top, winning the decider and clinching the Gold medal in the process.

2. Winning the 2017 Singapore Super Series

Sai Praneeth reached his peak in 2017 when he clinched his first BWF Super Series title at the Singapore Open. He defeated compatriot and former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth. This was Praneeth's first Super Series final appearance and he made it count by winning the event. He won 17-21, 21-17, 21-12 in a high voltage encounter.

He became the second Indian to win the men's singles final of the Super Series. Praneeth made a strong comeback in the second game after losing the first. He started the third game with great dominance and did not allow Srikanth any chance in the decider. Undoubtedly one of the biggest achievements of his career, the victory made him a top prospect in the world of Badminton.

1. Bronze at the BWF World Championships

His biggest performance came at the BWF World Championships in Basel, Switzerland. He won the Bronze medal and ended India's 36-year medal drought at the tournament. Sai Praneeth also became the second Indian in men's singles to clinch a medal at the mega event since Prakash Padukone.

The Indian shuttler defeated Anthony Sinisuka Gintin and Jonathan Christie in the quarter-final and the semi-final respectively. His biggest challenge came against World No. 1 Japanese star Kento Momota.

While he showed great grit and passion to fight against the Japanese, Momota was just too good for him. Praneeth took an aggressive route against Momota and it was very competitive at the mid-game break. However, the reigning World Champion turned it around by winning consecutive points to win the first game. He carried the dominant momentum in the second game as well, giving Praneeth no chance. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a piece of sporting history for India and Sai Praneeth.

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