Imagine a young 23-year-old shuttler, in whom only a few believed, defying all odds and standing on the brink of Olympic glory, only to see it slip away. Lakshya Sen experienced this heartache when he narrowly missed winning a medal at the Paris Olympic Games. His coach, U. Vimal Kumar, watched from the sidelines in frustration. However, the athlete is widely celebrated for his determination and strength. He even received a compliment from his opponent, Denmark’s great Viktor Axelsen, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, who predicted that Lakshya would win gold at the LA 2028 Olympics.
As Sen works to improve and fix the gaps in his game, Kumar offers insights into what went wrong and, more importantly, what lies ahead for the young prodigy. InsideSport had an exclusive chat with coach Vimal Kumar about Lakshya Sen’s future and aspirations.
Reflections on Olympic heartbreak
Flashbacks from the Olympics still linger, when Lakshya Sen was leading against Viktor Axelsen. It was a phenomenal day, but he eventually lost the lead and missed out on the finals. The same happened in the bronze medal match against Lee Zii Jia. Speaking on Lakshya Sen’s tendency to lose crucial leads, Vimal said, “This is not the first time it has happened. People only noticed it during the Olympics, but if you look back, there have been matches where Lakshya had similar leads but couldn’t finish. For example, in the Singapore Open against Viktor Axelsen, he was comfortably ahead in the third game but became too cautious. And in critical matches, that cautious approach let him down.”
Struggles with overcaution and understanding potential
Vimal Kumar also expressed his disappointment. “From a coach’s perspective, or for those closely following Lakshya, there is a sense of disappointment that he didn’t learn from previous mistakes. It wasn’t just about the Olympics; this had happened in several tournaments before. He tends to become overcautious instead of playing freely, especially at crucial moments where applying pressure or attacking is necessary. This has been discussed, and he is aware of it now. He knows what he needs to work on, and I believe he’ll address this in future matches.”
From a fan and coach’s point of view, there was widespread disappointment because Lakshya holds so much potential. On this, Vimal Kumar stated, “Everyone, including Viktor Axelsen, knows Lakshya’s potential. But in such high-pressure situations, he needs to remember not to let go of that advantage. Those who are close to him, including me, have to be tough at these times. Lakshya is young, and we all believe he has many great years ahead, but he needs to learn from these situations. It will hurt him more than anyone because, technically, he was playing well and had the momentum.”
“For him now, the focus is on improving his fitness and preparing for upcoming tournaments like the All England in March and the World Championships next year. If he can do well there, it might help him move on from the disappointment of the Olympics.” he added.
Motivating After Olympic Heartbreak
Coaching an athlete after Olympic heartbreak is tough; it takes a certain kind of motivation. Vimal Kumar believes in using examples to inspire athletes. “At the elite level, athletes like Lakshya aren’t the first to miss out on medals. I always remind him of examples from other sports. For instance, in the 2004 Olympics, Roger Federer, the world number one, lost in the first round of tennis. People questioned his temperament. Similarly, in badminton, Lin Dan lost early in 2004 despite being a top player. Later on, he went to win back to back gold medals in Olympics. So, it happens even to the greatest athletes.”
“For Lakshya, he has many more opportunities ahead. It’s important to take these setbacks in stride and focus on continuous improvement,” he added.
Overcoming Injuries and preparing for the future
Lakshya Sen hasn’t become a star overnight; he has brought glory to India multiple times and even battled an injury back in 2022. On this, Vimal said, “He’s fully recovered now. There are no ongoing injury issues. After the Olympics, he took a short break to focus on his fitness. By December, we’re hoping he can break into the top 10 again. He has a few tournaments lined up, and if he performs well, he could even make it to the year-end finals, which would build good momentum going into 2025.”
Improving game strategy
Lakshya Sen has, over time, lacked shot selection and consistency. The coach agrees, stating, “We’re working on getting more punch in his smashes, particularly in the latter stages of tournaments. As players progress through tough matches, their power and precision can drop, and that’s something we need to address.”
Adapting to indoor conditions is also crucial. “Lakshya needs to adapt better to conditions, especially dealing with drift when playing indoors. It’s a challenge many players face in Asia, but he needs to control the shuttle better under such circumstances. Consistency is key in men’s singles, and right now, the top 20–25 players are at a similar level. It’s gruelling, and you have to maintain that level across tournaments to stand out.”
Coach addressing Lakshya’s energy concerns
There have been comments about Lakshya’s energy levels. On being asked whether low energy is costing him titles, Vimal said, “It’s not really about a lack of energy. “The matches at this level are incredibly tough. When you’re playing three-setters from the first round itself, it’s exhausting. Ideally, you want to finish matches in two games when possible, but the depth of competition means that’s not always feasible.”
“Lakshya has exceptional reflexes, possibly the best in the world. When he’s in the zone, he’s very difficult to beat. If he can maintain his fitness and these reflexes towards the later stages of tournaments, he’ll be even more effective.” he added.
Lakshya Sen doesn’t need a foreign coach
Many players, including PV Sindhu and Satwik-Chirag, are looking for specialised coaches, often foreign ones, to work on certain aspects. But Vimal Kumar denies the need for any such recruitment for Lakshya. “I don’t think bringing in a specialised coach is necessarily the solution. It’s more about making sure Lakshya is proactive in addressing his own shortcomings. He knows what needs to be done at this stage of his career. Having a good coach by his side is important, but it’s also up to him to take initiative.”
Lakshya recently underwent a physical assessment in Salzburg, Austria. Vimal Kumar shed light on that, saying, “That assessment was done through Red Bull’s institute, which focuses on physical evaluations for top athletes. It’s a good system that provides valuable insights. But ultimately, the work has to be done here, with his trainers. The facilities are good, and Lakshya has strong support, but it’s about getting fully involved in the process.”
Coach’s view on strengthening India’s Badminton setup
While having great players like Lakshya is beneficial for India, the country still needs to strengthen its badminton setup. On being asked if there is standout talent coming through like Lakshya or PV Sindhu, Vimal said, “Overall, India’s badminton is growing, but we have areas to improve, particularly in doubles. We have a strong combination in Satwik and Chirag, but we need to develop more pairs to match countries like China, Malaysia, and Korea. The same goes for women’s doubles and the singles department.” he concluded.
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