‘Going to be a mad scramble’: HS Prannoy on busy badminton calendar

Armed with a consistent show and good results HS Prannoyrsquos top priority is to be in the Top five or three in the world before 2023 folds up And there is an air of confidence as he prepares for the forthcoming World Championships to be held in Copenhagen from August 21ldquoIt is a big challenge to be at the top It is how you perform and to be in the Top 10 you need to be consistent At the end of this year my priority would be to be in the Top five or three I want to be there for a while That is my target and to finally look for a podium finishrsquorsquo said the ninthranked shuttlerTough calendarBeing drawn in a tough half Prannoy 31 said he is not really looking at the World Championships ldquoNo doubt it is a big tournament but it is important to be in good space If you look at the calendar it is very tough Fortunately I had a good run in the tournaments I participated in this year It takes time to get into good rhythm Things are going in the right direction Itrsquos going to be a mad scramble for the next six months So I have to be smart and choose tournaments I want to enjoy what Irsquom doingrdquo he said after a long morning session at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy here on MondayOn this yearrsquos good results which included an Australian Open final entry Prannoy revealed a change in approach and training ldquoI am much more focused It is a collective thing happening from the coaches trainers and physios All of them have been on the same page I think this is very important when it comes to individual performances In the last one year Gopi bhai Gopichand has been very active He is also in touch with physios and trainers This works well considering long tournamentsrdquoAlso Read BWF Rankings HS Prannoy moves to 9th spot Lakshya Sen jumps to 11thAsked about the unbeaten run of Viktor Axelsen Prannoy said the Danish player is somebody who has the confidence to back him ldquoI had a good chance of beating him in the Japan Open The margin of error was less The game changed with small mistakes There are a lot more matches in the next few months and I hope to beat him next time aroundrsquorsquoHe agreed that having Gopichand on the court is a big advantage ldquoHe is somebody who knows me for the last 14 years knows me as a person His inputs have worked very well for me He understands me very well He is also somebody who knows the world of badminton very wellrdquoTalking about the long 71shot rally against Weng Hong Yang in the Australian Open final recently Prannoy said that these long rallies are a common phenomenon in world badmintonGaining proper perspectiveldquoIn this match it was 1917 We had already played 90 minutes and then when it comes to that situation itrsquos a hell of a game We knew that this point was crucial We knew whoever wins that point would have a slight edge and we pushed each other Though I was not on the winning side it gives a proper perspective to your game We need to be prepared for these long rallies physically and mentally We keep trying that in the practice sessions nowrdquoThe road to the Paris Olympics is tough according to Prannoy ldquoItrsquos eight months away but I feel it is a very long road We have eight months of qualification and anything can happen It will be tough choosing tournaments Paris will take care of itself but I have to trust my abilities I need to focus on my recovery side but if I am in good shape Irsquod love to do well Going there will be the toughest part Playing there is easier than the qualification Irsquom really looking forward to thenext eight monthsrdquo he said