For the second time in five years, India’s top men’s badminton player Lakshya Sen finished as runner-up at the All-England Open Badminton Championship in Birmingham. The 24-year-old shuttler, who had hoped to join compatriots Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand as winners of the prestigious tournament, fell short in the final against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi. “When I played the final at All England in 2022, I was enjoying the moment and playing without expectations,” Sen said. “But this time, when I reached the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final, I was better prepared in terms of how to handle and play such pressure matches. This time, I had the belief that I could win …”
On his way to the final, Sen had upset two seeded players, including top seed Shi Yuqi of China, but after suffering cramps in the semi-final, he was unable to raise his game against Chun-Yi.
“I made it to the finals but didn’t manage to win the match, so I’m a little disheartened,” Sen said, adding that “there are many positives that I can take into the upcoming tournaments. The confidence this tournament has given me will definitely help me in the future.”
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge. [Comments? Contributions? Please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips, and more.]