From Almora To Olympic Semifinals: Meet Lakshya Sen, Indian Badminton Player Who Made History At Paris Olympics 2024

Lakshya Sen created history as the first Indian to reach the men’s singles semifinals at the Paris Olympics 2024. Scroll down to know all about the champion.

Paris Olympics 2024: In a remarkable achievement for Indian badminton, Lakshya Sen has become the first Indian shuttler to advance to the semifinals of the men's singles event at the Paris Olympics 2024. On August 2, Sen secured his place in the semifinals with a thrilling 19-21, 21-15, 21-12 victory over Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen.

The 22-year-old from Almora demonstrated exceptional resilience and skill throughout the match. Despite losing the first set, Sen made a strong comeback, adapting his strategy and playing with precision to win the subsequent two sets decisively. His performance was marked by powerful smashes and tactical play, which not only secured his spot in the semifinals but also bolstered India's medal prospects at the ongoing Olympics.

Sen’s victory comes amid mixed results for Indian badminton. While Sen progresses, PV Sindhu, along with the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, faced elimination from the Games after their matches on Thursday.

Who Is Lakshya Sen?

Lakshya Sen, born on August 16, 2001, in Almora, Uttarakhand, has steadily risen through the ranks of international badminton. Sen began his training at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in 2016 and enjoyed notable success on the junior circuit. He earned a bronze medal at the Junior Asia Championships that year, though he faced some setbacks with early exits in 2017, including at the Syed Modi International tournament.

Sen's performance improved significantly in the following years. In 2017, he reached the quarterfinals of the Vietnam Open and faced Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in the Junior World Championships, where he was narrowly defeated. His breakthrough came in 2021 when he won a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships, losing to Kidambi Srikanth in the semifinals.

The year 2022 was pivotal for Sen as he made it to the final of the prestigious All England Open, though he lost to Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen. Despite this, Sen achieved considerable success by helping India win the Thomas Cup, alongside teammates like Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. This success, along with his impressive performances, earned him a career-best ranking of World No. 6 in the BWF World Rankings. Additionally, he won the India Open in 2022 and the Canada Open in 2023.

Reflecting on his recent achievement, Sen said, “I think this is something I have always dreamed of. It feels really good. There is a lot of work to do now; this is where the real test begins. I have 48 hours to recover and prepare for the next match. I need to give my 100 percent. He was strong at the net, so I tried to open up the game.”

Earlier in the tournament, Sen showcased his skill with an extraordinary behind-the-back return during his match against Jonatan Christie, leaving spectators and his opponent in awe. His performance has drawn praise from prominent figures such as Anand Mahindra and Harsh Goenka.

Who Will Lakshya Face In The Semi Finals?

In the semifinals, Sen will face either Singapore’s 2021 World Champion Loh Kean Yew or Denmark’s Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, promising another exciting chapter in his Olympic journey.