Badminton: Rising star Lakshya Sen all set for Denmark, French Open

Currently, World Number 8 in the BWF rankings, Lakshya Sen is training hard for the upcoming Denmark Open (October 18-23) and also the French Open (October 25-30).

From winning the India Open, getting a runner-up position in the German Open and the All England Open, being part of the legendary Thomas Cup team, winning a silver medal in the mixed team event and a gold medal in men's singles event in his debut Common Wealth Games, Sen has undoubtedly proved his worth in the senior world badminton circuit this year.

In an interview to Millennium Post, the Commonwealth Games champion has highlighted several aspects of his career.

Do you think as a young male badminton player, each of your achievements has acted as a source of motivation for the upcoming male badminton players, especially after winning Thomas Cup?

I think we gained a lot of confidence after Thomas Cup. As a team, we performed well in the tournament. This will motivate many other upcoming players as we have never done well in team tournaments. It was a special moment for everyone and yes, I think the other achievements will also inspire many upcoming young players. Ultimately, it's a big boost for everyone and me as well.

How is your training for the upcoming tournaments going on?

I am definitely training very hard for the upcoming Denmark and French Open tournaments and I will try to perform my best there as well.

If we look into your family lineage, your grandfather Chandra Lal Sen is considered the pioneer of badminton in Almora, Uttarakhand. How did he motivate you as a child to enter this sport? Can you share some of your experiences with him?

As a kid, I used to go and watch my grandfather play. After finishing his game, he used to teach us and play with us for some time and that's how I slowly got into the sport.

You have trained under various coaches, starting with your father D K Sen, Prakash Padukone, Vimal Kumar and Yoo Yong-sung. How would you describe your experience with each of them and how their coaching style differs?

I think all of them have different kinds of styles. Each of them has taught me something special and helped me grow as a player. Since I joined the academy, Prakash Padukone Sir and Vimal Kumar Sir have always been there. Morten Frost sir and Yoo Yong- sung sir have also worked for a brief period with me.

Who is your role model in this field in this field?

It would be Prakash Padukone.

You are well known for your defensive skills in badminton. What is your strategy to neutralize an offensive play, especially when a long rally comes?

I don't avoid a long rally. I play it as it comes because when both players are playing well, the rallies generally become long. When the shuttles are slow, you have to expect the match to go long and rallies are always like that. I feel you even have to keep the opponent in mind and then just try and play the game.

Does toss play an important role to win a match? How does it affect you if it doesn't come in your favour?

It doesn't matter a lot unless there is drift in the hall because then it becomes an issue.

Do you think that the environment of the play area, in terms of crowd and set-up affects the psyche of a player?

Yes, definitely it affects you a lot when the crowd in the hall is supporting you. From them, you get that extra boost to play. Especially in England, there are a lot of Indian crowds who always come to support whenever there is any event, like the All England Open. In Commonwealth also a lot of people were there to support me.

Do you think you got very less time to rest and recover considering all the celebrations?

No, I think the calendar for the entire year remains like that only. Not much time is generally left to come out and celebrate for long. We just prepare for upcoming tournaments; it doesn't matter how much less time remains left for them. But, yes with whatever time left we take some of the time off to recover also and get back to training. We just celebrate for just one or two days due to the tight schedule.

How do you describe your relationship with HS Prannoy?

He is one of the senior members on the tour from India and I have a huge amount of respect for him. He was very instrumental in building the team spirit which helped us bring back the Thomas Cup. He will always be someone I look up to and have the highest regard for.

Who are the players you are looking forward to play against in the upcoming tournaments?

All the players in our circuit are exceptional talents and I treat every match with the same respect and focus irrespective of the players' ranking. There are moments when some opponents surprise you and that is when I have to readjust my game to try and outmatch them. I enjoy the drive of competition.

What is the scope for young upcoming players in this field?

Centres of excellence are very important for an athlete to take their game to the next level and compete amongst the best. Earlier, Indians would have to leave the country and train somewhere else which was expensive. Now, our country is offering these facilities in India which will help upcoming players believe that they can now compete with the best without leaving the country.

How do you spend your spare time?

Whenever after a tournament there is a long break, I go out for a vacation or I go out with my family. Otherwise, whenever I am free after training I watch many movies or web series. Currently, I am watching 'Criminal Justice.'