Paris Olympics: Lakshya Sen, 22, has emerged as the brand new poster boy of Indian badminton. Making headlines for his no-look backhand shot, he goals to construct on his previous victories to make a mark on the world stage.
Lakshya Sen’s meteoric rise within the badminton world has cemented him as the brand new poster boy of Indian sports activities. The rising star not too long ago secured a convincing victory towards Prannoy H S, one other nationwide hero, on the Paris Olympics. With this win, Lakshya stormed to the quarterfinals of the lads’s singles badminton event.
This triumph etched his identify in Indian badminton historical past, making him India’s third male participant to succeed in the quarterfinals of the Olympic badminton competitors.
Presently ranked 22, Lakshya will face a formidable opponent within the quarterfinals: twelfth seed Chou Tien Chen from Chinese language Taipei. Because the upcoming match (on 2 August, 2024) guarantees to be an exciting encounter, Lakshya stays assured. “I feel having robust matches offers you confidence. I’m now able to go deep into the event. It will likely be a difficult match towards Chou,” he advised NDTV Sports activities.
Earlier than his face-off with Prannoy, the 22-year-old sensation from Almora, Uttarakhand, made headlines for defeating Indonesia’s world quantity three Jonathan Christie on the Paris Video games. The match highlighted a jaw-dropping no-look backhand shot by Lakshya that left each viewers and opponents in awe.
Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra Group, took to ‘X’ to reward Lakshya with a pinch of humour. “If I have been his opponent, I might cry foul and file a go well with, claiming that I used to be confronted by an unnatural opponent who possessed three arms,” he quipped, sharing a video by The Higher India.
Born in 2001, the younger shuttler is thought for his attacking instincts and highly effective smashes. Lakshya’s achievements embrace successful gold on the 2022 Commonwealth Video games and silver on the 2022 Asian Video games, demonstrating his expertise on the worldwide stage. He additionally earned a bronze medal on the 2021 World Championships, solidifying his place amongst India’s prime badminton gamers.
Lakshya additionally performed a key function in India’s historic 2022 Thomas Cup victory, contributing considerably to the crew’s success. His agility and ability have earned him a career-high rating of No. 6 on this planet, reflecting his constant efficiency and development. With spectacular wins on the 2022 India Open and the 2023 Canada Open, he has confirmed himself a formidable competitor within the badminton circuit.
The prodigious expertise turned the youngest participant to succeed in the Indian nationwide males’s singles closing in 2016 at simply 15, surpassing his mentor Prakash Padukone. He was additionally ranked world no 1 in juniors. Through the years, he has remodeled into one of many prime younger badminton gamers. He has additionally advanced technically, enhancing his defence and internet dribbles, changing into a extra well-rounded all-court participant.
With followers rooting for him, Lakshya is set to construct on his spectacular monitor report and make his mark on the world stage as he units his sights on future victories.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
