BWF World Tour Finals | HS Prannoy placed in tough Group A, to play against Viktor Axelsen
In Group A of the BWF World Tour Finals, Olympic Champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, Kodai Naraoka of Japan, and Lu Guang Zu of China will compete with Indian badminton player HS Prannoy. Of eight men singles competitors competing in the 2022 BWF World Tour finals, HS Prannoy is the third seed.
Due to an increase of Covid cases, the BWF World Tour finals have been relocated from Guangzhou, China to Bangkok, Thailand. They will now take place from December 7 to December 11, 2022. After PV Sindhu withdrew due to injury from the BWF World Tour finals in 2022, HS Prannoy is the sole shuttler representing India.
Prannoy has had a steady 2022 and is a candidate for the BWF's "most improved player of the year" honour. He advanced to the quarterfinals of 10 of 13 events from the start of the year through September. His greatest achievement of the year, however, was leading India to their first victory at the Thomas Cup team event, their first victory in the competition's 73-year existence.
After the BWF Super 300 Hylo Open, notable Indian athletes including Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, and doubles team Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty called it quits.
BWF World Tour Finals Men's Singles Draw
Group A: Viktor Axelsen (DEN), HS Prannoy (IND), Kodai Naraoka (JPN), Lu Guangzu (CHN)
Group B: Chou Tien Chen (TPE), Jonatan Christie (INA), Loh Kean Yew (SGP), Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (INA)