Sunday, 22 September 2024
Sunday, 22 September 2024
The rhythmic thwack of shuttlecock against racquet has been the soundtrack of Lakshya Sen’s life. He was born into a badminton family in the Kumaon hills of Almora. He would watch as his father trained his older brother.
His father, D.K. Sen, is a badminton coach and his brother, Chirag Sen, is an international player. And now, that little boy who would watch, wide-eyed, his father and brother play is one of India’s brightest stars on the international badminton stage.
Where it all began: The Union Bank tournament
When he was 9 years old, Lakshya reportedly persuaded his father to allow him to tag along as his brother Chirag travelled to Bangalore to play in the Union Bank All-India Sub-Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament.
The Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy’s chief coach, Vimal Kumar, would be in the audience. D.K. Sen wanted Chirag – a rising talent – to get into the academy, but little Lakshya reportedly followed his brother and father into Vimal Kumar’s room and said he wanted to have a go at the trials, too.
Vimal Kumar took both boys on. The Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy became Lakshya's second home.
National prodigy at 15
Fast forward to 2016, and Lakshya Sen was already making waves in the badminton circuit. At just 15, he became the youngest player to reach the men's singles final of the national championship. The record he broke was set decades ago by a certain Prakash Padukone.
Sen's prodigious talent was now impossible to ignore and the Indian badminton fraternity began to see him as the next big hope.
Junior World No. 1 at age 17
Sen's ascent in the junior circuit was meteoric. By February 2017, he achieved the World No. 1 ranking in junior men's singles. He was done with the boys. He was not yet 16, but he was ready to take on the men.
Asian Junior Championships triumph
The next year, in 2018, Lakshya Sen clinched the gold medal at the Asian Junior Championships, beating in a thrilling final with Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, clinching the World Junior No. 1 crown from him. It made him the first Indian to win the title in 53 years. Gautam Thakkar had achieved the feat back in 1965.
Youth Olympic silver
Later in 2018, Sen represented India at the Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires and won a silver medal. If there were any doubts in the badminton world’s mind, they were gone now. This boy was ready for the men.
Breakthrough on the senior circuit
Sen's transition to the senior circuit was seamless. In 2019, he announced his arrival by clinching his first BWF Tour title at the Dutch Open. He quickly followed it up with triumphs at the SaarLorLux Open in Germany and the Scottish Open.
Sen was no longer just a boy brimming with potential; he was now a force to be reckoned with in men's badminton. One with an ability to adapt and thrive against more experienced opponents.
World Championships bronze: World discovers Lakshya
The 2021 World Championships in Huelva, Spain, marked Sen's coming of age on the global stage. In a tournament featuring the world's elite, the young Indian shuttler fought his way to the semifinals. Although he fell short of reaching the final, Sen's bronze medal was a historic achievement. At 20, he became one of the youngest Indian shuttlers to medal at the World Championships, cementing his status as India's new badminton sensation.
All England open final: A star is born
In 2022, Lakshya Sen stormed into the final of the prestigious All England Open. His giant-killing run saw him defeat World No. 3 Anders Antonsen and World No. 7 Lee Zii Jia. Though he finished as runner-up to Viktor Axelsen, Sen's performance at badminton's oldest tournament was a watershed moment. He was now a world-class competitor.
