Despite lacklustre 2023, Lakshya Sen has the talent to relive 2022 glory

New Delhi, Sep 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a remarkable ascent through the ranks in badminton, Lakshya Sen's journey has been nothing less than meteoric.

From his early days as a junior competitor, Sen has swiftly risen to the pinnacle of the sport, defeating renowned veterans and securing medals on the grandest stage. He has undeniably become the face of Indian badminton, symbolizing the sport's promising future.

Lakshya savoured his first taste of victory in 2014 when he emerged triumphant at the Swiss Junior International.

Following this initial success, he continued to make waves in the junior circuit, consistently grabbing headlines. His ascent reached its peak in February 2017 when he achieved junior world No. 1 ranking.

The year 2018 was remarkable for the young shuttler when he clinched the junior Asian title and went on to bag silver at the Youth Olympics Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Lakshya went into the 2018 Junior Asian Championships in Jakarta as the sixth-seeded Indian. He dominated the tournament and clinched the title after prevailing in the fiercely contested final against junior world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn from Thailand.

The victory made him the first Indian to win the junior continental title in 53 years after Gautam Thakkar had achieved the feat back in 1965.

After his remarkable victory at the continental event, expectations were soaring for Lakshya at the Youth Olympics. True to form, the young talent not only met but exceeded those expectations by securing the silver medal. His impressive streak continued at the 2018 World Junior Championships, where he added to his growing list of achievements with a well-deserved bronze medal.

Transitioning from the junior level to the senior circuit in 2019, the talented Almora boy began making significant strides. His inaugural victory in a BWF World Tour event occurred at the Dutch Open in 2019, followed by an impressive consecutive win at the Saarlorlux Open in the Super 100 category.

These triumphs helped him break into the top 50 of the badminton world rankings for the first time.

Despite his remarkable form at just 21 years, he had his fair share of setbacks, missing the Tokyo Olympics due to a back injury and limited opportunities in the pandemic-affected badminton calendar.

In 2021, Lakshya's standing in the badminton world experienced an exponential surge. The young shuttler consistently shocked opponents with higher rankings and demonstrated a remarkable ability to secure a place on the podium.

That year witnessed him finishing third at the BWF World Tour Final, and he continued his impressive run at his maiden world championships, clinching a bronze after losing to compatriot Kidambi Srikanth in the semi-final.

He kicked off 2022 on a triumphant note as he secured his inaugural BWF Super 500 title at the India Open. Later, he etched his name in history by clinching a remarkable second-place finish at the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championships, becoming the first Indian since Pullela Gopichand’s famous victory in 2001 to contest in the final of the prestigious BWF Super 1000 event.

A week before the his historic All England campaign, Lakshya had beaten Axelsen at the German Open title.

The promising youngster played an integral role in India’s maiden Thomas Cup triumph in May 2022, beating Olympic bronze medallist Anthony Ginting of Indonesia in the first tie.

Three months after that, Lakshya achieved his maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham.

By the end of the year, he achieved a career-high eighth place in the BWF men's singles world rankings.

Despite a stellar season in 2022, Lakshya's form took a nosedive in 2023. His performance in six post-Commonwealth tournaments was subpar, failing to advance past the second round, resulting in his drop from the top 10 rankings.

After a tough first half of the season, he redeemed himself after securing a Canada Open 2023 badminton men’s singles title. But the world no. 19 could not manage to replicate his previous form in the recently concluded BWF World championships and bowed out before reaching the medal round.

Keeping aside the rollercoaster 2023, one must not forget that Lakshya has proven time and again that he is a force to reckon with.

While 2022 was undoubtedly his shining moment, 2023 brought its share of challenges. However, true champions are defined not only by their victories but also by their ability to bounce back from setbacks.

Lakshya demonstrated this resilience by clinching the Canada Open 2023 men's singles title, reminding everyone of his immense potential.

With his unwavering dedication and talent, he is bound to rise again and continue making India proud on the global stage.

Source: IANS