H.S. Prannoy: Aichi-Nagoya probably my final Asian Games, Los Angeles 2028 still a possibility

H.S. Prannoy said in Nagoya on September 19, 2026 that the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is likely to be his last while leaving open the possibility of contesting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. "This is probably my last Asian Games. I don't think I will be able to play at this level after four years. I only want to play at that level, not lower," Prannoy told PTI.

Prannoy, a veteran Indian shuttler and a bronze medallist at the last edition, reported he was physically and mentally ready after competing at the Vietnam Open last week. "I am in a good place physically and mentally. I played the Vietnam Open last week and had a decent run after some time," he said.

He was part of India's silver-medal winning team at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou and stressed the team will target gold in Nagoya. "We missed gold by a whisker last time. Hopefully, we can reach the final and win gold this time," Prannoy said.

Prannoy left the door open to another major assignment beyond Nagoya, setting a one- to one-and-a-half-year timeline for assessing his chances of reaching Los Angeles. "My aim is LA 2028. I will push for the next one to one-and-a-half years. If I feel there is a realistic chance of making it to LA, I will continue. Otherwise, I will decide later," he said.

His preparations for the Paris Olympics had been affected when he contracted chikungunya around 15 days before the Games, a disruption he acknowledged in discussing his fitness and future plans.

Prannoy credited Kidambi Srikanth for providing motivation to continue competing at a high level, describing him as "probably the best men's singles player" India has produced and adding: "Seeing him still play is encouraging and motivating. His results have given me confidence that if he can play, so can I." He also said, "His commitment to training, irrespective of outside opinions, was something younger players could learn from."

Doubles specialist Chirag Shetty urged the Indian men's badminton team to press for gold and to "be raging tigers on the court," recalling that India led China 2-0 in the previous final before losing 2-3. "We want to win a medal. Last time we won silver and we were so close to winning gold. We were leading 2-0 against China," Chirag said, noting the squad has retained much of its core and familiarity from recent team events: "We have been playing together for quite some time now. We have had the Thomas Cup gold, Asian Games silver and the Thomas Cup bronze this year. We know each other well, so hopefully we can do well."

Chirag, who partners Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, cited their China Open victory earlier this month as a confidence boost and explained what helped them prevail: "What worked was that we were able to come back when we were down and execute in the crucial stages, even when we were not playing our best." On representing India at multi-sport events he added, "Multi-sport events are always special. Donning the Indian tricolour feels special, and I am looking forward to the next 10 days." He also reiterated the squad’s mindset: "It's a new tournament. Whatever happened last time is done and dusted. We have to go all out and be raging tigers on the court."

Prannoy is part of India's 20-member badminton squad for the 20th Asian Games, and the team begins its campaign with the team championships on Sunday (September 20, 2026).