Lakshya Sen’s success no flash in the pan, says Prakash Padukone | Badminton News


BENGALURU: India’s rising badminton star Lakshya Sen may have gone down fighting to World No.1 Viktor Axelsen on Sunday in the men’s singles final of the All England Open Badminton Championship in Birmingham, but Prakash Padukone, a legend of the sport, believes the youngster’s recent success is no flash in the pan. Sen was spotted at the age of 10 and has been nurtured at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy since then.
The former All-England champion pointed to the consistency with which Sen has grown over the past six months. “The recent leg of European tournaments has been very successful for Lakshya as he has beaten some of the players ranked within the top 5 in the world. This shows that his bronze medal victory at the World Championships a few months ago was not just a flash in the pan. Over the past six months, he has been one of the most consistent performers since the international circuit resumed.”
On the qualities that stand out in the youngster, Padukone stated, “He is hardworking, focused, disciplined, dedicated, grounded and most importantly mentally very strong even while playing against players ranked higher. He has shown this quality in abundance especially in the last two tournaments that he has played.”
Padukone believes there are greater challenges ahead for the talented youngster. “This is never an easy task, especially for a youngster like Lakshya. He has truly announced his arrival on the world stage, but the greater challenge for him begins now. From my own experience, I can say with conviction that reaching the highest level is difficult, but the bigger challenge is staying at that level as it requires a lot more effort and mental strength. However, as of now Lakshya has all the qualities required to remain a medal contender for the next few years,” he explained.
While Sen has touched great heights at a young age, Padukone stressed on the ultimate aim of seeking Olympic glory. “He will most certainly break into the Top 10 when the World rankings are announced next week. It is undoubtedly a great achievement but I would want him to continue his ultimate quest for Olympic glory,” he added.
Showering praise on the team behind Sen’s success led by PPBA director (coaching) U Vimal Kumar, Padukone said, “Lakshya has a great team to back him with specialists in different domains helping him in his progress and journey. This will be his biggest asset going forward.”



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