Syed Modi Super 300 Badminton: Priyanshu Rajawat has high ambitions, but body and mind must align more often
When about his grand plans for the future, Priyanshu Rajawat takes a couple of seconds to ponder, before replying that he hopes to be world No 1 one day (breaking into the top 20 is his immediate target). Tell him that his game style often elicits comparisons with Srikanth Kidambi, he nods in agreement with a smile. To get to where Srikanth did once, the youngster knows that taking care of his body is key, but also figuring out how to cut down on his mistakes.
On Saturday, Priyanshu went down for the second straight year at the semifinals stage of the Syed Modi India International, as Singapore’s Jason Teh Jia Heng won 21-13, 21-19 in 48 minutes. While Lakshya Sen dominated his semifinal against Japanese Shogo Ogawa 21-8, 21-14, the potential blockbuster final between him and Priyanshu wouldn’t happen now.
After his quarterfinal win, Priyanshu said that he had put in a lot of work for the Syed Modi event this year because he wanted a title at the home event. He was also aware of where he fell short last year against Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei: too many errors in the third game.
Jia Heng Jason Teh 🇸🇬 and Priyanshu Rajawat 🇮🇳 contend for a spot in the finals.#BWFWorldTour #SyedModi2024 pic.twitter.com/07cTX9N1Q0
— BWF (@bwfmedia) November 30, 2024
Against Jason Teh on Saturday, he didn’t manage to get that far. After looking like a million dollars 24 hours earlier, Priyanshu’s consistency deserted him. He paid the price for an especially slow start, down 4-11 at the break. He was much better after the interval, starting with more pace in the rallies, and clawed his way back to 10-12 with a whipped half-smash that was used to great effect when he won the Orleans Masters title last year.
But to win any title on the international tour, it often comes down to maintaining solidity over five days, and not a couple of days of really high-level badminton followed by a dip. Jason Teh later said that he won mainly because of how well he managed the net against Priyanshu, something that’d hurt the Indian even more because – just like Srikanth again – he is no mug at the front court. When Priyanshu did fight back late in the match, it was too little too late.
The wait, then, continues for a young man whose talent is unquestionable. The key now is to translate that into four or five wins in a week. The big target for him in 2025 is to take better care of his body, but equally important is to mix solidity with his stroke-making flamboyance.
