HS Prannoy Claims Maiden BWF World Tour Title With Gritty Victory At Malaysia Masters Final

Despite playing a crucial role in India's triumphant Thomas Cup campaign last year, HS Prannoy had been unable to secure an individual title since his victory at the 2017 US Open Grand Prix Gold.

India's HS Prannoy celebrates after winning against China's Weng Hongyang during the men's singles final match at Perodua Malaysia Masters 2023 badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur on May 28, 2023

Source : Getty Images

Kuala Lumpur: HS Prannoy of India clinched his first-ever BWF World Tour title by displaying determination and resilience in a hard-fought three-game victory over China's Weng Hong Yang in the men's singles finals of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 on Sunday (May 28). The 30-year-old Indian showcased exceptional composure throughout the intense 94-minute match, securing a 21-19, 13-21, 21-18 triumph against Weng Hong Yang, who is ranked 34th in the world.

Despite playing a crucial role in India's triumphant Thomas Cup campaign last year, Prannoy had been unable to secure an individual title since his victory at the 2017 US Open Grand Prix Gold. He came close to breaking this drought when he reached the finals of the Swiss Open last year and reached the semifinals in Malaysia and the Indonesia Super 1000.

Winning his 1️⃣st ever #BWFWorldTour title in style 💥🥳@himantabiswa | @sanjay091968 | @lakhaniarun1

📸: @badmintonphoto#MalaysiaMasters2023#IndiaontheRise#Badminton pic.twitter.com/JcrokGQYtB

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) May 28, 2023

However, on Sunday, the ninth-ranked player in the world, Prannoy, finally ended his quest for an individual title with an outstanding performance against his 23-year-old Chinese opponent in an arduous battle. Throughout the tournament, Prannoy showcased his physical and mental strength, defeating notable opponents such as world number five Chou Tien Chen, All England champion Li Shi Feng, and Japan's Kenta Nishimoto in thrilling three-game matches.

Following Prannoy's win, several netizens took to social media to congratulate the shuttler.

"I always wondered why was @PRANNOYHSPRI not able to win a title despite playing so well in the past defeating top playes many times. I don't remember the place exactly where he defeated Lin dan and chen long in a row. I think it's Singapore or Indonesia. Still no title. Finally..," a user wrote.

Not too long ago, Prannoy had claimed his career-best ranking, taking the world number 7 position and his recent victory is said to no harm to his rising repuatation in the world badmintom circuit as he remains the only one from India inside the top 10 ranking.

(With Inputs From PTI)