India’s historic Thomas Cup victory sparked joy at the Thirumuttam house in Anayara here on Sunday as the family of shuttler H.S. Prannoy, a member of the winning contingent, broke into celebration.
The 23-ranked Prannoy, who has built a reputation as a giant killer in the sport, left an indelible mark on the team’s victory march despite not playing in the finals. His victory in the deciding fifth and last match against Rasmus Gemke of Denmark in the semi-finals proved crucial in India’s progression to its maiden Thomas Cup final.
Addressing a large posse of media persons following the team’s triumph in Bangkok, Prannoy’s father Sunil Kumar credited each member of the winning team for the commendable victory. Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen and the combine of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty battled hard to post the win for the country, he said.
Expressing joy that his son was part of the victorious campaign, Mr. Sunil said: “Prannoy played two crucial matches (in the quarter-finals and semi-finals) to lead the team to the finals in truly memorable fashion. He remained resolute to achieve success notwithstanding his leg injury.”
Prannoy’s mother Haseena viewed his inclusion in the Thomas Cup contingent a huge blessing, considering he was returning from an injury.
Despite their son’s unparalleled success in badminton, the couple did not hide their disappointment at being ignored by his home State. “Prannoy has been an important singles player for the country since 2010. I doubt many know about him in Kerala after all these years on the court. It has remained a matter of great sadness for our son that we have not received any support in our own State,” Mr. Sunil lamented.
