India's HS Prannoy secured a semifinal berth by defeating Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia with scores of 21-16, 21-23, 23-21 At the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou on Thursday, October 5. He is now assured of at least a bronze medal at the mega event.
He is set to compete against the victor of the match between Indonesia's Anthony Ginting and China's Li Shi Feng in Friday's semifinal.
Competing with a taped lower back and a supportive belt, Prannoy overcame intense back pain to deliver a memorable performance, defeating Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia 21-16 21-23 22-20 in the quarterfinals. This victory ensures India's second badminton medal at the current Games.
Earlier, India had secured a silver in the men's team championships the previous Sunday.
Post-match, Prannoy remarked, "Lee is always a challenging opponent. Today's match was physically demanding for me."
He continued, "I wouldn't say I was even 80% fit. But pulling off a win like this, I'd give myself a lot of credit. The determination to fight was present, and it made a difference." After enduring the grueling 78-minute match, the elated 31-year-old from Kerala collapsed on the court, overwhelmed. He then celebrated by taking off his shirt, fist-pumping, and embracing chief coach Pullela Gopichand.
With this victory, Prannoy ended India's prolonged wait for a men's singles medal at the Asian Games since Syed Modi's bronze in the 1982 New Delhi edition.
The world championship bronze medalist had been sidelined from the team championship final due to his back injury, resulting in India's 2-3 loss to China and settling for silver.
Commenting on his condition, he stated, "It's impacting me. But that's sports for you. You can't always be at your best. Yet, you must find ways to win even when you're not fully fit. Today was one such day for me."
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