I’m not afraid of top players: Lakshya

Shuttler Sen, the youngest Indian to feature in the BWF World Tour Finals from December 1 in Bali, is confident of excelling against the world’s best

At 20, India shuttler Lakshya Sen may not have loads of experience, but his talent and hard work have propelled him into emerging as the next big star of Indian badminton. 

The Almora lad, trained by the dynamic duo of Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar, became the only Indian player to reach an international final (Dutch Open) in the COVID-hit BWF season. 

And he has been rewarded for his consistency with a spot at the year-ending HSBC BWF World Tour Finals, where he will rub shoulders with the season’s top eight shuttlers in Bali, Indonesia, competing for a whopping USD 1.5 million prize money from December 1. 

Ranked 5th on World Tour

Sen, ranked fifth in the World Tour rankings, is the youngest Indian to qualify for this event.  He is understandably excited. “In the last few weeks, I have played against the very best in the world on the circuit, so I am confident of playing well in this group. I am moving well, not getting tired, timing my shots well and covering the court nicely. I have also been able to select the right shots to play at the right time which is very important,” Sen told mid-day recently. 

For a youngster, taking on the world’s best can be a tough task, but Sen insists he’s not in awe or afraid of his competitors. “I will respect the player on the other side of the net, but never be in awe of him. A player, who is afraid of or in awe of his opponent, has already lost the match in his mind before it begins. The pressure is not on me, but on my opponents so I will play freely,” added Sen, who will be playing his seventh straight major tournament without a break.

Sen had made headlines three years ago when he stretched the legendary Lin Dan of China to three games in a Thomas Cup match. The Indian claims his game has improved a lot since. 

Maturity and patience

“I have matured and have learnt to be patient on court. Against Lin Dan, I was smashing too often, at times even when I was not in the right position. I have learnt how to avoid that. My stroke selection is better too. I have also learnt how to analyse my defeats,” 

explained Sen. The Indian shuttler had aimed to be in the Top 20 this year and has successfully achieved it. So, what’s next year’s target? “I have been reaching the quarter-finals and semi-finals of most tournaments in the last two years. Now, the time has come to win titles. That’s my aim next year. That will also propel me into the Top 10. In fact, I hope to start winning from the World Tour Finals itself,” he signed off.

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