Prannoy Haseena Sunil Kumar, popularly known by the name HS Prannoy, is an Indian Badminton player who plays in men’s singles. He is the current World no.9 according to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings. Prannoy became a household name in Indian Badminton when he played an instrumental role in winning the nation its first Thomas Cup title in 2022. HS Prannoy married his longtime partner Swetha Gomes in September 2022.
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Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, HS Prannoy is the son of Sunil Kumar and Haseena Kumar. His father, a former badminton player, and All India Air Force Badminton Champion, inspired Prannoy to embrace the sport at the age of 10. Prannoy began his badminton journey under his father’s guidance and mentorship.
Prannoy’s badminton skills caught the attention of national coach Pullela Gopichand. As a result, this led to him joining the Gopichand Badminton Academy for professional coaching. He first gained recognition by securing a silver medal in Boys’ singles at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. Prannoy continued his success with another silver at the 2011 Bahrain International Challenge. In 2013, he reached the Tata Open International Challenge finals in Mumbai, ultimately earning yet another silver medal.
In 2014, HS Prannoy clinched two All India Senior National Ranking Championships, including the Manorama Indian Open All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament in Kerala and the V. V. Natu Memorial All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament in Pune. His remarkable performance on the international stage captured widespread attention. Prannoy made a statement by advancing to the semi-finals at the 2014 India Open Grand Prix Gold, Bitburger Open Grand Prix Gold, 2014 Macau Open Grand Prix Gold, and the Sri Lanka Open International Badminton Challenge in Colombo.
HS Prannoy astonished many by advancing to the 2014 Vietnam Open Grand Prix final, where he was defeated by top seed and favorite Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka from Indonesia. In the following tournament which was the Indonesia Open Grand Prix Gold, Prannoy got past local favorite Firman Abdul Kholik of Indonesia in straight sets. He concluded 2014 as the third-highest ranked Indian at World no. 21.
Prannoy began 2015 on a high note by reaching the semi-finals of the India Open Grand Prix Gold. He defeated German player Marc Zwiebler in the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold finals with a score of 21-18, 21-15. In the 2016 South Asian Games, Prannoy secured a silver medal after losing to K Srikanth in a three-set match. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, he finished fourth, losing the bronze medal match to England’s Rajiv Ouseph.
Despite a slow start to the 2021 season, Prannoy reached the quarter-finals of the BWF World Championships. He played a pivotal role in India’s historic victory at the 2022 Thomas Cup, where the nation triumphed for the first time in 73 years. During the quarter-final against Malaysia, HS Prannoy won the decisive match against Leong Jun Hao, ensuring India a semi-final spot and its first-ever Thomas Cup medal. He replicated this feat in the semi-final against Denmark, defeating Rasmus Gemke in the critical match. Later, India defeated 14-time champion Indonesia to claim the prestigious Thomas Cup 2022 title.
For his accomplishments in the sport of Badminton, HS Prannoy received the Arjuna Award, the second-highest sporting honor in India, in 2022.
| Event | Opponent | Score | Medal |
| Swiss Open 2022 | Jonatan Christie | 12–21, 18–21 | Silver |
| Badminton Asia Championships 2018 | Chen Long | 16–21, 18–21 | Bronze |
| US Open 2017 | Kashyap Parupalli | 21–15, 20–22, 21–12 | Gold |
| South Asian Games 2016 | Srikanth Kidambi | 21–11, 14–21, 6–21 | Silver |
| Swiss Open 2016 | Marc Zwiebler | 21–18, 21–15 | Gold |
| Indonesian Masters | Firman Abdul Kholik | 21–11, 22–20 | Gold |
PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy (Image Credits - Twitter_ @BAI_Media) PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy (Image Credits - Twitter_ @BAI_Media)
HS Prannoy in a file photo (Image Credits - Twitter_ @PRANNOYHSPRI) HS Prannoy in a file photo (Image Credits - Twitter_ @PRANNOYHSPRI)
HS Prannoy at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship (Image Credits - Twitter_ @BWF) HS Prannoy at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship (Image Credits - Twitter_ @BWF)
Prannoy receiving the Arjuna Award from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu (Image Credits - Instagram/ @prannoy_hs_) Prannoy receiving the Arjuna Award from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu (Image Credits - Instagram/ @prannoy_hs_)