File photo of Lakshya Sen© AFP

Lakshya Sen with Deepika Padukone© Twitter

Aiming to be in the best shape for the upcoming tournaments in the BWF circuit, India’s Lakshya Sen on Sunday left for Austria for a detailed evaluation of his body. The 22-year-old from Almora, who had come close to winning an Olympic medal in Paris before finishing fourth, will undergo a series of tests at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Salzburg to get a detailed evaluation to rev up his fitness and game. “Lakshya is going to Austria to do some physical assessment. There is a good sports institute there, where he wants to do some physical exercise. He left today and will be back after a week,” Vimal told PTI.

Lakshya is accompanied by his trainer, Gaurav and a 15-year-old junior shuttler Nishchal Chand from Uttarakhand to help him keep abreast with the game during the week.

“The tests will focus basically on specific strength aspects. Many of the elite athletes go and get themselves tested there. We had consulted Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala for all his niggles and injuries.

“Right now, he is fine but before he really starts going full-fledged, it is important for him to get the right physical training, and unless the strength and conditioning program is really spot on, he can get injuries. So we have to find the right things to do.” Lakshya is likely to play the Hong Kong Super 500 and China Open Super 1000 next in late September this year.

Badminton is a physically demanding game and Vimal feels Lakshya has to keep working on his overall fitness, especially considering the kind of game that he possess.

“He needs to definitely get better on fitness aspects, especially the speed, endurance and other things he needs to work on.

“Because the game he plays, it’s very fast-paced. He has to defend a lot and then he converts the defence into offense.

“When he’s playing with the wind, he needs to keep putting the shuttle down, come into the net, tumble at the net, so up and down… those sort of things it takes away a lot of your energy. So, he needs to get super fit or develop the ability to control the drift.” 

Despite a run of five wins at Paris Olympics 2024, Lakshya Sen lost his final two matches to end up without a medal and finish fourth in the badminton men’s singles event. Looking back, Lakshya has pointed out a key reason that led to the change in momentum during his bronze medal match. The 23-year-old had lost to eventual gold medalist Viktor Axelsen in the semi-final despite leading by five and seven points respectively in the two sets. Lakshya also won the opening game in the bronze medal match against Lee Zii Jia, but lost in the end.

“In the second game, that side of the court had some drift. Even after the lead, I knew I couldn’t control the shuttle,” said Lakshya to The Indian Express. “And then the momentum suddenly changed, and he started playing better. Even when he drew level, I was fighting for every point,” he added.

Lakshya pointed out that he had made a few too many unforced errors during his crucial match with Viktor Axelsen. Lakshya had led 18-13, and then had three game points at 20-17, in the first set, but ended up losing five points in a row. In the second game, despite being 7-0 up, Lakshya lost momentum dramatically, losing it 21-14.

“In crucial situations I could’ve played differently. I didn’t play well at all in the end, and there were a lot of unforced shots. I needed to be a bit more patient,” he added.

Lakshya mentioned that he would be tweaking his game as he gears up to challenge for future Olympic medals.

“Overall, in how I played, there were some things I was happy and proud about at Paris. But this is gonna hurt for some time. I’m looking to add and change a lot of things moving forward,” he said.

India has never seen an athlete move up from fourth to an Olympic medal, but being only 23, Lakshya has age on his side to do so. Even Viktor Axelsen tipped him to be a force in years to come.

Lakshya Sen, the rising Indian badminton star, revealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his coach, Prakash Padukone, had taken away his phone during his entire Olympic competition in Paris. PM Modi met and felicitated India’s Paris Olympics athletes on Independence Day at his residence, where Lakshya reflected on his experience at the Games and shared insights into the challenges and cherisable moments he encountered during his debut at the Games.

He revealed that he had long matches right from the start, which required intense focus. Despite the demands of the competition, athletes made time to socialise, often having dinner and meeting other international athletes. “It was a big thing to share a dining room with some of them,” Sen remarked, emphasising the meeting with other athletes.

He admitted, “As a first-time Olympian, I was nervous during my initial matches, especially with the pressure of performing in front of a massive crowd. However, as the tournament progressed, I regained confidence and settled into my game.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also acknowledged Sen’s performance, reminding him, “You are from ‘Devbhumi (Uttarakhand),’ and you are a celebrity now.” 

The Prime Minister’s words highlighted the pride of the nation in Sen’s achievements, even without a medal. In response, Sen shared a behind-the-scenes story, mentioning that coach Padukone took his phone during his matches to help him stay focused. “Prakash Sir had taken away my phone during the matches, and said you won’t get it until the matches are over,” Sen said.

Sen, made history as the first Indian shuttler to reach the semifinals in men’s badminton at the Olympics. He topped his group with victories over top players like Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie and compatriot HS Prannoy in the round of 16.

He also stunned Chou Tien-chen in the quarterfinals. But he fell short of bagging his maiden Olympics medal after losing to world no. 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the semifinal.

Reflecting on the overall support he received, Sen expressed, “It was heartbreaking, coming so close to a win but falling short in the end.”

PM Modi then offered words of encouragement to a shuttler from Almora, stating, “It would have been great if you came back with a medal, but still, you played well. But, people watch with excitement, not just from abroad, but children in our country are inspired by how well you played in the Olympics.”

Sen concluded by expressing his determination to continue improving his game, practising hard, and serving as an inspiration to young badminton players in India.

Lakshya Sen revealed how his phone was taken away by strict coach Prakash Padukone, hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh talked about his team’s thrilling run while everyone shared a good laugh on the air conditioning struggles in Paris when Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a reception for the Indian contingent after its fairly decent Olympic campaign. The Prime Minister hosted the contingent after the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort, where too the athletes were in attendance on Thursday. The video of the interaction was shared by Modi and the athletes could be seen having one-on-one chats with the PM.

In one such conversation with Lakshya, who finished fourth in the men’s singles badminton competition, Modi said: “When I met Lakshya for the first time, he was very small but now he has grown up. Do you know, this time you have become a celebrity? To this, Lakshya replied: “Yes sir. But during matches Prakash Sir took my phone and told me till the matches are over, you won’t get your phone. But after that I got to know the support I got.

“It was a learning experience and little heart-breaking as well because I came so close,” said the 22-year-old who lost from a position of strength in the bronze playoff.

A laughing Modi instantly said: “Prakash Sir was so disciplined and strict, I will send him the next time as well.” The Paris Olympics were promoted as eco-friendly Games. So, there were no air conditioners in any rooms in the Games village, forcing the sports ministry to dispatch 40 portable ACs on an urgent basis for their comfortable stay.

A laughing Modi asked all the athletes who all cursed him for the situation, to which no one replied.

“There were no ACs and it was hot as well, so I want to know which of you cried first saying ‘Modi speaks big but there are no ACs in rooms so what should we do’,” Modi said.

“Who all are there who faced most difficulties? But when I learnt that, within a few hours that work also was done. See how we try to provide you the best of facilities?” the Prime Minister added.

Paris didn’t gave ACs to olympic players. You must have thought what Modi has done but as soon as I came to know, ACs were arranged for each and every player within hours pic.twitter.com/ILPGnGLTVT

— (@kanchandwivedi3) August 16, 2024

Modi also had a light-hearted chat with Harmanpreet, who opened up on how the team fought back after being down to 10 men for more than 40 minutes in the quarterfinal against Great Britain.

“Just tell me when you to fight with 10-men against Britain, you must have been demoralised from the start, Sarpanch saab, please tell, it was very difficult,” Modi asked the India captain, addressing him with his nickname.

Harmanpreet replied: “Yes Sir, it was very difficult because we got the red card in the first quarter but our coaching staff helped us a lot. We visualised every situation because in Olympics anything can happen. The motivation of the team also increased because we have a rivalry with GB (Britain).” Modi interrupted and laughingly said: “It has been going on for the last 150 years.” Harmanpreet said: “We fought and ended the match 1-1 and won it in shoot-out. It never ever happened in Olympics history (playing with 10 men for 42 minutes and then winning).”

Paris Olympics launch-pad for Indian sports’ rise

Modi believes the just-concluded Paris Olympics is going to be a turning point for India. The 117-member Indian contingent returned with six medals, including one silver and five bronze. The count was one less than Tokyo and there was no gold in the tally this time.

But Modi appreciated the efforts of all athletes who represented the country and said their inputs will help in successfully getting the hosting rights of the 2036 Games.

“Those who have returned after losing, please get this out of your mind. You made the country proud and came back after learning something. Sports is one area where no one loses, everybody learns,” Modi said.

“I believe Paris Olympics will be a launch-pad for the rise of Indian sports. This is going to be our turning point. After that there will only be wins. We are not going to stop,” the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister termed the athletes as “India’s soldiers of 2036 Olympics”.

“India is preparing to host the 2036 Olympics. In this case many athletes who played in the Olympics, their inputs are very important. You might have observed many things there, from Olympics planning to all facilities, from sports management to event management,” Modi said.

“Your experiences, your observations, we need to write them down, so in 2036 Olympics all the little things and experiences of yours will help us in preparing for the Games. In one way you are soldiers of 2036 Olympics,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met and felicitated India’s Paris Olympics athletes on Independence Day at his residence on Thursday. During the meet, PM Modi interacted with several athletes, including star shuttler Lakshya Sen. Lakshya, who made his Olympics debut in Paris, lost the bronze medal match to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in three games. After Lakshya failed to win a medal, Prakash Padukone, head coach of Indian badminton contingent, was critical of the shuttlers performance at the Paris Olympics, saying that they need to step up and take the responsibility.

However, during the light-hearted chat with PM Modi, Lakshya revealed that coach Prakash (Padukone) took his phone during his matches to help him stay focused. 

“Prakash Sir had taken away my phone during the matches, and said you won’t get it until the matches are over,” Lakshya told PM Modi.

On a lighter note, PM Modi told Lakshya: “Prakash (Padukone) sir was so disciplined and strict, will send him to the next Olympics as well.”

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi interacted with the Indian contingent that participated in #ParisOlympics2024, at his residence.

He said, “… It is an honour to have you all here… PR Sreejesh proved why he is known as ‘The Wall’. Everyone who won a medal and even those who lost by… pic.twitter.com/8XMThnk67F

— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024

Sen, made history as the first Indian shuttler to reach the semifinals in men’s badminton at the Olympics. He topped his group with victories over top players like Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie and compatriot HS Prannoy in the round of 16.

He also stunned Chou Tien-chen in the quarterfinals. But he fell short of bagging his maiden Olympics medal after losing to world no. 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the semifinal.

Reflecting on the overall support he received, Sen expressed, “It was heartbreaking, coming so close to a win but falling short in the end.”

PM Modi then offered words of encouragement to a shuttler from Almora, stating, “It would have been great if you came back with a medal, but still, you played well. But, people watch with excitement, not just from abroad, but children in our country are inspired by how well you played in the Olympics.”

Sen concluded by expressing his determination to continue improving his game, practising hard, and serving as an inspiration to young badminton players in India.

(With IANS Inputs)

India’s top shuttlers including PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy and men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have withdrawn from the upcoming BWF Japan Open, scheduled to commence on August 24. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday confirmed that defending champion Axelsen, fresh from winning his second Olympic Games gold medal, will be among the star attractions in the tournament amid massive pull outs from the tournament that will be first major badminton event after the conclusion of Paris Olympics on Sunday.

Axelsen is one of three defending champions who have entered the tournament – the others are women’s doubles duo Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong and mixed doubles pair Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino.

The other two defending champions: An Se Young and Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin – who also won the Olympic gold recently – will skip the Japan Open.

Lakshya came agonisingly close to winning the bronze medal for India in the Paris Olympics but he came down fighting against Axelsen to miss out the podium finish in the debut quadrennial event.

Apart from the Indian shuttlers, the other prominent withdrawls include Olympic champions Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, Chen Yu Fei, and Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti.

While there have been a number of high-profile withdrawals, the field in all categories has plenty of depth. Shi Yu Qi, Jonatan Christie, Anders Antonsen, Kodai Naraoka and Kunlavut Vitidsarn in men’s singles, and Tai Tzu Ying, Akane Yamaguchi, Wang Zhi Yi and Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in women’s singles are expected to be seen in action.

In men’s doubles, world champions Seo Seung Jae/Kang Min Hyuk will be looking for their first Japan Open title, while in women’s doubles, local hopefuls Chiharu Shida/Nami Matsuyama and Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara will attempt to break the run of Korean success from 2019.

Olympic bronze medallists Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino will look to defend their title, with the field likely to see world champions Seo Seung Jae/Chae Yu Jung, Olympic silver medallists Kim Won Ho/Jeong Na Eun and Indonesia Open winners Jiang Zheng Bang/Wei Ya Xin.

Withdrawals from Japan Open 2024-

Men’s Singles: HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, Priyanshu Rajawat, Wang Po-Wei, Sameer Verma, Sankar Muthusamy, Oleksii Titov, Riku Hatano, Garret Tan.

Women’s Singles: An Se Young, Pusarla V Sindhu, Chen Yu Fei, He Bing Jiao, Carolina Marin, Eliana Zhang, Asuka Takahashi.

Men’s Doubles: Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, Arif Junaidi/Roy King Yap, Sai Pratheek/Krishna Prasad Garaga, Julien Maio/William Villeger, Ayush Pattanayak/Abinash Mohanty, Yuichi Shimogami/Takumi Nomura, Mahiro Kaneko/Shunya Ota, William Kryger Boe/Christian Faust Kjaer, Lin Yu Chieh/Chen Zhi Ray, Youcef Sabri Medel/Koceila Mammeri.

Women’s Doubles: Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti; Rawinda Prajongjai/Jongkolphan Kititharakul; Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand Pullela; Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota; Setyana Mapasa/Angela Yu; Moa Sjoo/Tilda Sjoo; Wen Yu Zhang/Eliana Zhang; Sikki Reddy/Gadde Ruthvika Shivani.

Mixed Doubles: Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong; Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping; Praveen Jordan/Serena Kani; Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Boje; Julien Maio/Lea Palermo; Oleksii Titov/Yevheniia Kantemeyr; Yuichi Shimogami/Sayaka Hobara; Kevin Lee/Eliana Zhang; Rinov Rivaldy/Pitha Haningtyas Mentari; Roy King Yap/Valeree Siow; Chen Zhi Ray/Yang Ching Tun; Koceila Mammeri/Tanina Violette Mammeri.

Lakshya Sen mounted a remarkable comeback to become the first male Indian shuttler to qualify for the singles semifinals at the Olympic Games, outwitting Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen in an intense battle, here on Friday. The 22-year-old from Almora fought his heart out against the world number 11 Taiwanese after losing the first game to eventually prevail 19-21 21-15 21-12 in the men’s singles quarterfinal that lasted 75 minutes. PV Sindhu and the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had lost their respective matches on Thursday to bow out of the Games.

The shock loss of the men’s doubles pair had dented India’s badminton campaign heavily but Sen provided it a fresh lease of life.

Sen bettered the performances of Parupalli Kashyap and Kidambi Srikanth who had made the quarterfinals in 2012 and 2016 respectively.

“I think this is something that I have ever dreamt of. It feels really good,” Sen told reporters after his 75-minute slugfest with Chou.

“There is a lot of work to do now, now it is the real test. I now have 48 hours to recover and get ready for the next match. I have to give my 100 percent.

“He was strong at the net, so I tried to open up the game,” he said when asked about the consistent cross-court shots he played.

For 34-year-old Chou, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023, it was yet another quarterfinal finish at the Olympics.

Sen once again went into the match as an underdog, having lost four times in last five meetings against the Taiwanese, a former world number 2. Four of those matches had gone to three games and the Indian was prepared for the long haul.

There was very little to differentiate between the two as they engaged in a physical battle.

Long rallies were the order of the day as both players moved well on the court, returning almost everything they were throwing at each other.

The Indian lost initial points on his return from the forecourt and began making more cross-court shots. Every time he trailed, Sen found a way to level the score, which moved from 2-5 to 5-5 and then 15-15.

Sen took a three-point lead in the neck-and-neck battle when Chou sent a backhand long, netted a return and in between the Indian found a winner on the left of his rival.

The Taiwanese then mounted a comeback, logging three ferocious returns to make it 18-all. A backhand error from Sen gave Chou a mini-lead which he consolidated with a winner on the left of Sen.

Sen saved a game point but Chou did not let slip the next chance, firing an overhead smash to clinch the opening game.

The story was no different in the second game, which again was a see-saw affair. Both players kept outsmarting each other to keep snapping at each other’s heels.

At 7-7, there was a small interruption when Sen called for a review after a close line call. Chou’s return had landed in but Sen thought otherwise. The replay was not shown on the screen and the umpire just informed Sen that he had lost the review.

It prompted Sen to get into a conversation with the umpire but the Indian kept his cool and from 13-all he pulled away with five points in a row. An error at the forecourt by the Taiwanese gave Sen several game points. He converted the second when his rival netted a return.

Unlike the first two games, the decider unfolded in Sen’s favour with Chou making uncharacteristic unforced errors. His returns lost sting and he kept spraying the shuttle out even as Sen played at a high pace with his returns, smashes and the drop shots finding their mark.

Sen quickly build up a healthy 16-11 lead, which Chou failed to bridge. A superb cross court smash gave Sen eight match-point chances and he sealed it when Chou hit the net after a flat exchange.

Lakshya vs Prannoy Live Streaming RO16 Olympics: When And Where To Watch© AFP