India's veteran badminton player HS Prannoy's journey in the Korea Masters Super 500 tournament ended disappointingly when he had to retire due to an injury and could not continue the match.
Sports News: Indian players' performance on the first day of the Korea Masters Super 500 badminton tournament, being played in Korea, was disappointing. Veteran player HS Prannoy retired due to an injury, while Ayush Shetty and Kiran George suffered defeats in their respective matches. With this, the Indian challenge in the main draw concluded on the very first day.
Prannoy's Disappointing Retirement
Prannoy was up against Indonesian player Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo. While trailing 5-8 in the first game, Prannoy experienced an injury to his right rib while playing a cross-court smash. He took a medical timeout and resumed play, but due to discomfort at a score of 8-16, he had to withdraw from the match.
Prannoy's injury is a significant setback for Indian badminton, as he is a veteran player and has consistently made important contributions for India in upcoming tournaments.
Defeats for Ayush Shetty and Kiran George
Ayush Shetty, who won the US Open Super 300 title in the current season, suffered a defeat in a 47-minute long match against Chinese Taipei's Su Li Yang. Ayush lost 18-21, 18-21. Meanwhile, Kiran George gave a tough fight to former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore but ultimately lost 14-21, 22-20, 14-21. Kiran's performance clearly showed that he did not lose heart in the match and even won the second game, but could not complete the challenge in the final game.
In women's singles, Anupama Upadhyaya lost 16-21, 15-21 against the fourth-seeded Indonesian player Putri Wardani. Anupama's defeat was also disappointing for the Indian challenge. In mixed doubles, Mohit Jaglan and Lakshita Jaglan suffered a 7-21, 14-21 defeat against the Japanese pair Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara. This confirmed the Indian team's exit from the mixed doubles category of the tournament as well.
