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 lately secured a powerful victory in opposition to Prannoy H S, one other nationwide hero, on the Paris Olympics. With this win, Lakshya stormed to the quarterfinals of the boys’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.
At present 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 exhilarating encounter, Lakshya stays assured. “I believe having robust matches provides you confidence. I’m now able to go deep into the event. Will probably be a tough match in opposition to 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 had been his opponent, I might cry foul and file a swimsuit, 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 understood for his attacking instincts and highly effective smashes. Lakshya’s achievements embrace profitable 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 high 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 the 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 grew to become the youngest participant to succeed in the Indian nationwide males’s singles last in 2016 at simply 15, surpassing his mentor Prakash Padukone. He was additionally ranked world #1 in juniors. Through the years, he has reworked into one of many high younger badminton gamers. He has additionally developed technically, bettering his defence and web dribbles, turning into a extra well-rounded all-court participant.
With followers rooting for him, Lakshya is decided to construct on his spectacular observe document and make his mark on the world stage as he units his sights on future victories.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
