Lakshya Sen to collaborate with physio Heath Matthews for All England Championships
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Lakshya Sen, the Commonwealth Games winner, will have renowned physiotherapist Heath Matthews at his side for the European circuit, which also includes the All-England Championships. Sen, who competed in three consecutive competitions, helped India earn the bronze medal in the BATC.
"After BATC, in the pre-season training, Heath Matthews was in Bangalore for two weeks. He made sure that my recovery is better. It was a 10-day training and I could push hard and he ensured that I have no niggles," Sen told PTI.
"I have been playing six hours a day and giving two-three hours for recovery so that I have no small issues before such a big event, to be in the best shape and ensure that my body recovers and stays in good condition. He will be traveling with me at The England Championship and Swiss Open so that physically I am in good shape. So overall, preparation has been good and I'm getting close to my level."
As Sen was recovering from a shoulder injury before the Commonwealth Games last year, he sought Matthews' services. "Last time we got him for a month-long camp before the Commonwealth Games. I was coming out of injury and he helped me in my recovery after each match."
Sen, who won the bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships, had an outstanding 2022 on the European tour, making it to the finals of the German Open and All England Championship.
While he made early exits from the Malaysian Open and the India Open, the 21-year-old from Almora had a quiet start to this season, making it as far as the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Masters Super 500.
"I'm pretty confident about my fitness level but I have to get some match practice to get into a rhythm. I played in Dubai, and before that, there were a few events. All I am looking at is a good start in Germany, to be 100 percent ready for All England," he said. Starting on Tuesday, Sen will compete in the German Open against France's Christo Popov.
"I might face Lee Zii Jia in the quarterfinals, so looking forward to it. I have done everything in my hand to approach this week in the best shape, so hope to get a good momentum ahead of All England."
Sen did not compete in the Senior Nationals last month, but Mithun Manjunath and Anupama Upadhyay, two shuttlers from the PPBA program, won the men's and women's singles titles.
"It was special as both titles came to the academy. I know Mithun for a long time. We have been training together and even here in Germany, we traveled together. Anupama is someone I have seen as a young girl when she started in Almora, my hometown."
