Isolation Diaries: With Indian badminton player B Sai Praneeth
During the national lockdown, the Indian shuttler has discovered that cooking is not quite his forte.
The no.1 ranked Indian male shuttler at the moment, B Sai Praneeth sits 13th on the Race to Tokyo - BWF Olympic Qualification rankings list that has been frozen for the time being.
B Sai Praneeth had a mixed start to his 2020 season after ending 2019 as a BWF World Championship bronze medallist, becoming the first Indian male shuttler in 36 years to do so since Prakash Padukone in 1983.
However, although the 27-year-old hasn’t gone beyond the round of 32 this year, he is the only Indian badminton player apart from PV Sindhu to stay within the Tokyo Olympics direct qualification range.
The Olympic Channel caught up with the Andhra shuttler, who is confined in his home since the Indian badminton contingent returned from England early in March.
When was the last time you were indoors for this long?
I have stayed indoors for long whenever I’d been seriously injured as the recovery time took four to six weeks in those cases.
But, if I injure my hand, I don’t miss my slow runs and leg exercises and the same goes for leg injuries as well. We always do some exercises or the other during our injury break.
This is a new situation that we haven’t faced before. We’re not stepping outside our houses and cannot do anything about it.
How do you spend your time at home?
I spend most of the time with my family, watching movies at times and do small training sessions that can be done at home.
One new skill you learnt/tried out.
[Chuckles] No, nothing as such.
One household task/chore you have found yourself to be poor at.
Cooking! Never knew I could be so bad at it [Laughs].
Your preferred way to work-out at home.
I stick to more strength and core exercises, some standing abilities and skipping. Nothing more than that.
First thing you will do after isolation ends.
I am not exactly sure of it. Let it end first. I think the whole world will come out of their homes when that happens.
A TV series or book that you have enjoyed.
I am not watching any series at the moment. I watch television mostly and whatever is telecast at that time. I watch some web series and stuff only when I’m away or travelling. At the moment, I stick to whatever comes on TV and some comedy shows from time to time.
A person you have video-called with the most.
I video call with my cousins at times. Occasionally, they call, and we chat about things. But, with no one else as such.
What's your diet been like in times of the lockdown?
The diet hasn’t changed much, to be honest, but I’m making it a point to not eat much.