Demonstrating sheer grit and tactical brilliance, Lakshya Sen spearheaded the Indian men’s badminton team to a sweeping 3–0 victory over Japan in the Asian Games quarterfinals at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium.
The thrilling win guarantees India a place in the semifinals and secures consecutive team podium finishes at the quadrennial event, building on their historic silver-medal run at Hangzhou 2023.
Facing World No. 7 Kodai Naraoka in the opening tie, the 25-year-old Almora native staged a dramatic turnaround to seal a 11-21, 21-5, 21-19 victory in a high-stakes battle lasting an hour and six minutes.
Overcoming Injury and Turning the Tide
The opening game saw Lakshya struggle with rhythm as he coped with an evident back issue, dropping the first game 11-21 to the two-time World Championship silver medallist.
However, a pivotal tactical talk with chief coach Pullela Gopichand during the interval transformed the dynamic of the match. Switching sides, Lakshya raised his tempo, targeted the corners with pinpoint accuracy, and completely neutralised Naraoka’s defensive game to claim the second game 21-5.
The decider evolved into an intense, point-for-point physical grind. Despite visible physical discomfort, Lakshya relied on his explosive footwork and net control to hold off Naraoka’s late surge, closing out the final game 21-19 to hand India an invaluable 1-0 lead.
Momentum Carries the Indian Contingent
Lakshya’s hard-fought victory set the tone for the remainder of the tie. With world-class doubles pairing Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with rising star Ayush Shetty rounding out a powerful lineup, India capitalised on the initial breakthrough to seal a comprehensive 3-0 triumph over the Japanese squad.
