"He will definitely win for the nation" - Lakshya Sen's father optimistic for bronze medal at Paris Olympics
Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen faced a stiff test in the men's singles badminton semifinals at the ongoing Paris Olympics, going down to Denmark's Victor Axelsen on Sunday. Sen gave his best but finally fell to the World No. 2 two with scorelines of 20-22, 14-21.
Even in the wake of defeat, Lakshya's father, Dhirendra Kumar Sen, is hopeful that his son will bring home the bronze. He talked about the shuttler's impressive performance throughout the tournament and how focused he is. While talking to ANI, he said:
"It happens sometimes. Lakshya tried his best. If he had won today, then we would be really happy, and now he will prepare for the bronze medal match. He is very focused in this tournament and has played really well so far. He would be satisfied with his performance. Lakshya will definitely give his best for the bronze medal and he will definitely win for the nation."
Lakshya Sen, currently ranked world number 22, matched Axelsen and led 15-9 in the first game after a remarkable streak of six points. However, Axelsen made a robust comeback, taking advantage of some unforced errors from Lakshya's end to win the first game 22-20.
In the second game, Lakshya made a good start and at one time led 7-0. But Axelsen showed his big game temperament and turned the game on its head quite remarkably to clinch the second game 21-14. All the action was done and dusted within 54 minutes as Axelsen improved his head-to-head record over Lakshya to 8-1.
The 23-year-old shuttler's road to the semifinals was built on wins, including over Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien-Chen, 19-21, 21-15, 21-12. He may have lost in the semifinals, but Lakshya's performance has not been sans spurts of quality and still promises to be a nemesis for a sure-shot medal.
The only time he triumphed over Axelsen was during the 2022 German Open semi-final, when Lakshya won 21-13, 12-21, 22-20. His class and perseverance have made him a household name in Indian badminton, and the upcoming contest for the bronze medal is awaited with bated breath.
Lakshya Sen's amazing achievements make him one of the finest Indian badminton players
Former world junior No. 1, Lakshya Sen also has had a lot of success in the badminton world. He became the champion in the boys' singles at the 2018 Asian Junior Championships and in the mixed team event at the Summer Youth Olympics.
Lakshya continued his great career by claiming a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships and a runner-up finish at the 2022 All England Open. He was also an integral part of the Indian team that won the 2022 Thomas Cup and captured a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Most of all, Lakshya has created history by becoming the first Indian male badminton player to make it to the semifinals of the Olympic Games following that enthralling win in the men's singles event quarterfinal against Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei, pointing out his rising stature in the international circuit.
Lakshya Sen is now scheduled to play the bronze medal match against Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia.