Veterans Prannoy and Tien-chen still keeping rivals on their toes

Old is gold: India’s singles shuttler H.S. Prannoy plods on to make a difference in the Olympics. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Late bloomer H.S. Prannoy and Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen are some of the evergreen shuttlers who are set to end their Olympics journey in Paris but their rivals will not be fooled if they are merely here to make up the numbers.

It may be true that the odds are against the 32-year-old Prannoy and the 34-year-old cancer survivor Tien-chen but it will not be easy to discard them from the medal contenders’ list.

Since winning the 2023 Malaysian Masters, Prannoy has gone on to secure bronze medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Copenhagen World Championships last year and it would be definitely nice for him to add an Olympics medal to his collection.

The Indian shuttler has shown in the past that he can upstage the best and he may still have that quality to turn things around.

“It’s crucial to cherish the journey instead of obsessing over a medal. The results will follow if the process is right focusing on training and recovery,” said Prannoy.

Despite his pragmatic approach, Prannoy is the fan of tennis legend Novak Djokovic and has always marvelled at the Croatian’s longevity and his ability to continue winning on the global stage at the age of 37.

“He’s still beating younger guys, a huge inspiration,” said Prannoy of the durable Djokovic who has won a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

That itself is a clear message that Prannoy is quietly confident of trying to unseat a few big names in order to win India’s first medal in the men’s singles.

World No. 12 Prannoy should clear the Group K consisting Fabian Roth of Germany and Le Duc Phat of Vietnam but faces a tough last 16 clash against either Jonathan Christie of Indonesia or fellow Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen.

Lakshya and Prannoy clash would be interesting as it would confirm a last eight berth for India.

World No. 11 Tien-chen won hearts as he continued playing after discovering that he had colorectal cancer in April last year and managed to overcome the dreaded disease.

It will be a wonderful coincidence if Prannoy and Tien-chen can clear all their matches and meet each other for a place in the semi-finals, and a chance for a medal, if they can overcome tough early hurdles.

They have a proven record of beating the odds and the veterans would love to leave lasting legacy in what is possibly their last Olympics, in Paris.