After Tata Open win, Lakshya Sen bids adieu to junior badminton circuit

After Tata Open win, Lakshya Sen bids adieu to junior badminton circuit

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17-year old Lakshya Sen, who recently bagged a win in the Tata Open, bid farewell to the junior circuit after he revealed that he would be competing in the senior category from next season onwards. Sen will now prepare for the All India Ranking Tournament in Bangalore which will be held next week.

Indian teenager Lakshya Sen has already carved up a fine reputation for himself in the international junior circuit. In February 2017, Sen achieved the number one spot in the BWF junior singles’ ranking and also won gold in this year’s Asian Games where he defeated current number one Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

After a recent straight game triumph over his Thai rival at the recently concluded Tata Open, Sen revealed his plans to compete in the senior circuit from next season onwards. Sen, who bagged silver in the 2018 Youth Summer Olympics in Buenos Aires, has slipped from a high of 69 in June to 115 due to a series of injuries which kept him away from the court. However, in the coming year, Sen will hope to get that ranking back up by playing only in senior events and to qualify for tournaments of the level Super 500 and above by the end of 2019.

“He missed out on gold at the World Juniors but that’s it for him in the junior category. He is over it now and himself wants to focus on seniors,” said former chief national coach U Vimal Kumar, who is part of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, where Sen trains. 

Sen, who will turn 18 next year, only stands to benefit from his transition from the junior circuit to the senior one. In the few senior tournaments that he was a part of, Sen provided enough evidence that he can do well. One of the most memorable moments of the season for him would be his two matches against the legendary Lin Dan of China. Sen took the two-time Olympic champion to three games in both matches but could not manage a win on either occasion.

“He has learnt from those defeats. The good thing about Lakshya is that he never gets disheartened. Whether it was Lin Dan or Kunlavut, he was eager to learn where he went wrong and how he could improve,” said Sagar Chopda, Sen’s coach.

The Indian youngster will travel to the academy in Bangalore and participate in the All India Senior Ranking Tournament in the city next week after which he will participate in the Premier Badminton League. 

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