‘Lakshya Sen’s success is not a flash in the pan’, feels former coach and Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone

Lakshya Sen has been the most consistent Indian shuttler this season as he has produced some sensational performances against top players in top tournaments. He may have lost the All England Open finals against Viktor Axelsen, he has surely impressed a lot of people with his exceptional performances. His recent performances have also impressed former coach and Indian badminton legend, Prakash Padukone who feels that Sen’s recent success is not momentary as he believes that the young shuttler can be a great player in years to come.

“The recent leg of European tournaments has been very successful for Lakshya as he has beaten some of the players ranked within the top 5 in the world. This shows that his bronze medal victory at the World Championships a few months ago was not just a flash in the pan. Over the past six months, he has been one of the most consistent performers since the international circuit resumed,” Prakash Padukone told The Times of India.

Padukone also lauded Lakshya’s mentality and character as a youngster. He was amazed with his mental strength to fight and beat some of the best players despite being so young.

“He is hardworking, focused, disciplined, dedicated, grounded and most importantly mentally very strong even while playing against players ranked higher. He has shown this quality in abundance especially in the last two tournaments that he has played,” Padukone added.

Padukone highlighted how he spotted Lakshya at the age of 10 and from there it has been years of hard work and dedication for the young shuttler. He was nurtured by the Prakash Padukone Academy and his success gives Padukone a lot of joy.

The former All England Open Champion, Prakash Padukone believes that they have everything in his arsenal to be a world-beater in badminton. He feels that Sen has grown from strength to strength in the last few years. He feels that Sen has proven himself with stellar performances at World Championships and 2021 German Open. But broke the jinx by winning the title at the India Open. He also performed really well at the All England Open despite settling for the silver medal.

“He has truly announced his arrival on the world stage, but the greater challenge for him begins now. From my own experience, I can say with conviction that reaching the highest level is difficult, but the bigger challenge is staying at that level as it requires a lot more effort and mental strength. However, as of now, Lakshya has all the qualities required to remain a medal contender for the next few years,” he concluded.

It will be a busy season for the young Indian shuttler who is giving the Indian badminton lovers everything to cheer for since the prime days of Kidambi Srikanth. They now have someone who can be a future world-beater if he plays his cards properly in the coming years.