Lakshya Sen: Acing yet another test, belying age and experience

Success begets success. It has especially been true for young Lakshya Sen. Success begets success. I

Success begets success. It has especially been true for young Lakshya Sen. Success begets success. It has especially been true for young Lakshya Sen.

In a series of firsts starting December 2021, the 20-year-old has won a medal at the World Championships, clinched a BWF Super 500 title (India Open), reached the final of the All-England Championships and played his part in India winning the prestigious Thomas Cup.

On Monday, he added the Commonwealth Games singles gold, on debut, belying both his age and experience.

“It was my first experience at the CWG… I didn’t put too much pressure on myself regarding results,” said Lakshya, on his arrival at the Padukone Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence, his training base, on Wednesday. “I just went with an open mind. Looking at the draw I had the confidence that I could do well.

“I had given myself three to four weeks to train for this tournament and the World Championships (starting August 22). I skipped a couple of tournaments including Malaysian and Singapore Opens. That period of training helped me and I am sure it will in the coming days as well.”

Badminton at the CWG is a tricky competition. It isn’t a patch on the standards that one would encounter at the Asian and World levels. But that brings with it the pressure to win, especially for players from India, considered one of the leading badminton nations. The way Lakshya managed this was the biggest takeaway, felt U. Vimal Kumar, his mentor and coach.

“I was most impressed with his temperament,” said Vimal. “There were not very many great players. But he dealt with the expectations well. He could have so easily lost the semifinal. Again, in the final, he was in a tricky position, trailing. But he came through.”