Lakshya Sen reflects on his performance at 2024 Paris Olympics
Indian badminton star, Lakshya Sen, has shared his feelings about his performance at the Paris Olympics. Despite a strong start in the semi-finals against Viktor Axelsen, Sen was unable to secure a victory. National coach P Gopichand had previously expressed confidence in Sen's potential for gold. However, after an unexpected turn of events in the bronze playoff against Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, Sen was left reflecting on what could have been.
Sen's mentor criticizes missed opportunity for bronze
Prakash Padukone, Sen's mentor, criticized the young shuttler for missing out on a bronze medal. This came after an unexpected defeat in the bronze playoff against Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia. Despite leading 21-13 and 8-3 in the match, Sen was unable to maintain control of the shuttle due to court conditions. "In the second game, that side of the court had some drift. Even after the lead, I knew I couldn't control the shuttle," Sen explained.
Sen acknowledges need for strategy adjustment in crucial situations
Sen acknowledged that his initial strategy was effective but admitted to needing a different approach in crucial situations. "I'm happy that my starting strategy was working well. But in crucial situations, I could've played differently," he said. He also conceded that Axelsen was too solid toward the end and admitted to making unforced errors. "I didn't play well at all in the end, and there were a lot of unforced shots (errors). I needed to be a bit more patient."
Sen's audacity earned him a spot in the semis
Sen's bold approach to the game earned him a spot in the semi-finals against Axelsen, who is now a double Olympic champion. "There was a lot of time after draw came out and I had good group stage. After two matches I had good gameplan against Jonatan Christie," he recalled. Despite not winning, Sen demonstrated his potential by holding strong against Christie, an All England champion, and winning more matches than pool stage.
Axelsen clinched second successive gold medal
Denmark's shuttler Axelsen clinched the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Axelsen claimed a comfortable 21-11, 21-11 victory over Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the men's singles badminton final on August 5. The Danish player secured his second back-to-back Olympic gold medal after winning one at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Notably, Axelsen also won the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Games.
