"I want to do better than them" was what Pranav Madhaik told his interviewers at Singapore Sports School when they asked him how he was inspired by Singapore's badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew and Indonesia's world number two, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting.
Pranav passed away at the young age of 14 on Oct. 11, 2023, after undergoing a fitness trial at the school.
An Olympic champion dream
In an interview with CNA, Pranav Madhaik's father, Prem Singh Madhaik, said his son's exposure to badminton started as early as he was in Kindergarten 2.
He watched his elder brother and father play the sport daily at a park near their house.
He then joined the St Joseph's Institution badminton team in Primary 2 and eventually worked his way up to team captain in Primary 6.
After completing his PSLE, Pranav told his parents he wanted to pursue badminton full-time.
"I want to be an Olympic champion," Pranav told his family.
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Never missed a single training session
After his admission to the Singapore Sports School, Pranav moved into the school's boarding facility.
His family only saw him once a week.
However, Pranav never ever complained that his life as a student-athlete was tough.
His father said that Pranav never wanted to miss a single training session.
"Pranav was looking for a professional career as a badminton player," he said.
Brothers took brother's death hard
Pranav's older and younger brothers, aged 17 and 13, are also avid badminton players, representing their respective schools.
The siblings have taken Prana's death hard.
“It's very tough for them because they play together a lot. Especially the younger two, they grew up together," said Pranav's father.
He said they felt that Pranav is "leaving them alone".
Parents didn't manage to hear his last words
Pranav's father said they received the call from Sports School on Oct. 5, 2023.
He and his wife were at home.
They were told that something had happened to Pranav, that their son was on an ambulance to a hospital.
The couple rushed to the hospital, only to see their son motionless on the bed.
They couldn't even talk to him.
Need for answers
According to CNA, the school "promised to undertake a detailed investigation and to thoroughly review its safety protocols".
The parents have sought answers from Pranav's coaches and Sports School's management.
"The damage is already done. Now it’s more to know and see what could have been done to prevent this for the future so that a similar issue doesn’t happen again,” Pranav's father told CNA.
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