India’s rising badminton talent, Lakshya Sen, experienced a poignant end to his remarkable Paris Olympics campaign, narrowly missing the bronze medal in the men’s singles event on Monday.
Sen was on the cusp of a historic achievement as the first Indian man to clinch an Olympic medal in this category, but his defeat to Malaysia’s Zii Jia Lee with scores of 21-13, 16-21, 11-21 relegated him to fourth place.
Sen commenced the match with resolve, claiming the first set 21-13 following intense rallies. Jia began nervously, making errors that provided Sen an early lead. With defensive skill and tactical smashes, Sen stayed in the lead, countering Jia’s attempts to bridge the gap with robust cross-court shots.
In the second set, Sen’s initial lead of 8-3 was swiftly overturned by Jia’s stunning rally of eight straight points, giving him a lead at the interval. Despite Sen’s aggressive play, Jia equalized the match with a 16-21 victory.
The final set began with Jia’s dominance, utilizing his forehand and backhand to establish a significant 2-9 lead. Sen narrowed the margin to 6-11 before the interval but couldn’t surmount Jia’s continuous attack. Jia won the set 11-21, securing the bronze and leaving Sen just shy of a medal.
Reflecting on the match, Sen’s path to the edge of Olympic glory highlighted his extraordinary skill and tenacity. Although it ended in heartbreak, his performance in Paris has cemented his reputation as one of India’s most promising badminton talents.
