HS Prannoy

HS Prannoy is an Indian badminton player who won a World Championship bronze medal in 2023 and played a pivotal role in India's historic first-ever Thomas Cup title in 2022.

HS Prannoy's back-to-back victories in the 2022 Thomas Cup quarterfinal and semifinal were the decisive contributions in India's first-ever title win over 14-time champions Indonesia — a team achievement that stands alongside his 2023 World Championship bronze, won by defeating world number one Viktor Axelsen along the way, as the defining moments of his career.. He built a strong junior career, winning bronze at the 2010 World Junior Championships and silver at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, before making his senior international debut in 2013. Prannoy became the first Indian to win the US Open Badminton Championships in 2017, defeating fellow Indian Parupalli Kashyap, and notably beat both reigning Olympic champion Chen Long and reigning Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei in consecutive matches at the 2017 Indonesian Open. He helped India win gold in the mixed team event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and added individual bronze medals at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Championships and 2022 Asian Games. Prannoy's greatest team achievement came at the 2022 Thomas Cup in Bangkok, where his crucial wins in the quarterfinal and semifinal propelled India to its first-ever title in the competition's history, delivered with a 3-0 final victory over 14-time champions Indonesia. He capped a career-best stretch by winning his first individual World Championship medal, bronze, at the 2023 championships in Copenhagen, having upset world No. 1 and defending champion Viktor Axelsen along the way, and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 6 that year.

Resilient, tactically composed player renowned for upsetting higher-ranked opponents at major events

One of the leading figures in India's rise as a modern badminton power, celebrated for resilience through a long, injury-affected career

• World Championship bronze, men's singles (2023)
• Thomas Cup champion (2022), India's first-ever title
• Commonwealth Games gold, mixed team (2018)
• First Indian to win the US Open Badminton Championships (2017)
• Asian Games bronze, men's singles (2022)