New Delhi: The Indian juggernaut has been rolling in men’s badminton but talented shuttler B Sai Praneeth said Friday that the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei and Chen Long, will be the runaway title contenders at the World Badminton Championships in Glasgow, starting August 21.
World No. 2 Lee, five-time winner Dan and Olympic gold medallist Long have dominated international badminton for considerable time but Indian shuttlers, including Praneeth, Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy, had also recent success against the trio.
But Praneeth said despite their recent wins, the formidable trio still remains a force to reckon with at big events. In fact, the youngster’s observation sounded practical.
“If you see Lin Dan, Chen Long and Lee Chong Wei, they are always preparing for the big events. We did beat them in Super Series and that gives us the confidence. But I guess, it is okay for them to lose a Super Series because they have won so much in their career,” Praneeth told this agency.
“Long didn’t win any Super Series event and then won the Olympic gold medal in Rio. Chong also was not impressive at all before winning the All England tile, ditto for Dan also,” Praneeth observed. “So I think only if we can beat them in big events, then we can claim that they are beatable.”
Prannoy had defeated Chong and Long at Indonesia Super Series and Srikanth had beaten the latter in the final at the Australia Open. Praneeth, himself, had defeated Chong at the 2016 All England Championships.
Praneeth stated that he is confident after preparing well for Glasgow. “My training has been good and that makes me confident. I just want to put up some good performances. There will be a bit pressure but we need to overcome that in a big event,” Praneeth pointed out.
“It is a big tournament and we had a six-week gap and initially, the first four weeks were tough. As we approached the tournament, we increased the quality and reduced the quantity. I am fit and I am ready for the World Championships,” added the shuttler.
The Hyderabad-born shuttler said he has set his eyes on qualifying for the Dubai Super Series Final in December and hopes to crack the top-10 this year.
“This year, my aim is to play Super Series Final in Dubai. If I play that then automatically I am in the top eight. Hence, I would have to consistently perform in all events,” Praneeth informed.
Press Trust of India
