Priyanshu Rajawat experienced cramping issues, while HS Prannoy was operating at only '60-70%' and had not fully recovered from his health concerns. Additionally, it was not a favourable day for Lakshya Sen at the $950,000 India Open badminton tournament.

The losses of India's three highest-ranked men's singles players within 90 minutes on Wednesday evening indicate that the host nation will have minimal representation in this category as they advance to the second round of the Super 750 tournament.

Kiran George, who was elevated from the reserve list following the withdrawal of Indonesian eighth seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, will be the sole Indian men's singles competitor on Thursday in a category regarded as the country's strongest. Kiran faces a challenging match against the emerging French player Alex Lanier, who eliminated reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the opening round on Tuesday.

Lakshya's performance at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex was disappointing, as he lost 15-21, 10-21 to Lin Chun-Yi from Chinese Taipei. The highest-ranked Indian shuttler has struggled to find his form since the Olympics, where he narrowly missed out on a medal due to two critical errors.

Despite being the Commonwealth Games champion and India's most promising player for the future, Lakshya Sen has not been able to achieve significant results recently. In seven tournaments, the 23-year-old has faced five first-round exits. He did secure victory at the Syed Modi India International in Lucknow last month, ending a 28-month title drought, but that Super 300 event featured few top competitors, with Lakshya as the top seed.

“It was just an off day for me; I had prepared thoroughly and performed well in previous matches. The Malaysia Open last week was disappointing, and today was no different. It is now crucial to concentrate and adequately prepare for the upcoming matches, making some adjustments in training,” stated Lakshya, who is set to compete in the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta next week.

Prannoy has faced a series of unfortunate events throughout his career. Despite 2023 being the most successful season of his life, during which he secured bronze medals at both the World Championships and the Asian Games, as well as winning the Malaysia Masters, his performance took a significant downturn the previous year due to various health complications.

The athlete from Kerala experienced persistent nausea in early 2024, stemming from a malfunctioning muscle in the oesophagus that caused food to reflux, resulting in vomiting. This condition mirrored the acid reflux issues he had battled for years until he finally discovered an effective remedy. Additionally, his health struggles led to a weight loss of four kilograms and had a detrimental psychological effect on him.

Just as he believed he was on the path to recovery, Prannoy was diagnosed with Chikungunya shortly before the Olympics, which had a prolonged impact on his health.

After being defeated by Lakshya in the Round of 16 at the Paris Olympics, the Olympian took a four-month hiatus and made his return to competition at the Malaysia Open last week, where he was eliminated in the second round. On Wednesday, Prannoy put forth a strong effort to win a game against Su Li Yang from Chinese Taipei but ultimately lacked the stamina to overcome his opponent, losing with scores of 21-16, 18-21, and 12-21.

“Recovering from Chikungunya has been challenging. It took me 2-3 months just to get back on the court, which illustrates the severity of the aftereffects. As an athlete, it is a difficult situation to navigate with numerous uncertainties regarding physical health,” Prannoy remarked following his defeat.

“However, many issues have been addressed, and I am currently about 60-70% fit. I must continue competing on the circuit. The Malaysia Open was a reasonable tournament for me, but I experienced some ankle discomfort today, which made things challenging.”

Regarded as a promising talent in Indian badminton, Priyanshu has also struggled with consistency since his victory at the Orleans Masters in France two years ago. Although he reached the semifinals at the Syed Modi India International and the Canada Open last year, he faced multiple first-round exits. Unfortunately, Wednesday's match was no exception, as he was defeated.

Read Also: PV Sindhu's New Journey: Coach Irwansyah's Vision for an Aggressive Playstyle

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!