Viktor Axelsen defeated Lakshya Sen with scores of 20-22 and 14-21 in the badminton semi-finals at the Paris Olympics 2024. Despite this loss, Lakshya Sen is on the verge of making history for India. He will now compete in the bronze medal match against Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia.
Lakshya outplayed his opponents and delivered a remarkable performance to reach the semi-finals, where he faced a tough challenge from reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark. Despite leading by a significant margin in both games, the 22nd-ranked Lakshya ultimately lost to world number 2 Viktor Axelsen.
Axelsen praises Sen’s efforts
Lakshya Sen appeared devastated after the loss; however, Viktor Axelsen praised the 22-year-old. He said, “Lakshya Sen is an amazing player. He gave me a tough fight. He is a great guy, and he has a bright future. I’m sure he will win a gold medal in the future.”
Sen reflects on the match
Lakshya Sen looked devastated after the loss. Following the match, he reflected on his mistakes, stating, “The way the first set went, I should have closed it. I started the second set well but couldn’t close it again. It was a hard day for me. I got passive in the match when he started attacking. That’s where I lost the match.”
“I’m going to prepare for the bronze medal match. There’s a lot to learn, and I’d like to implement it in the next one. My family sends me food whenever they can. My mom, father, and brother are here, so they have been a big support,” Lakshya added.
Lakshya Sen makes history already
Making his Olympic debut, Lakshya has already made history by becoming the first Indian male shuttler to advance to the semi-finals of a singles event. He achieved this milestone by defeating Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen in a thrilling quarter-final match with scores of 19-21, 21-15, 21-12.
