Indian Shuttler Lakshya Sen Reflects on Mental Discipline at All England Finals

New Delhi: Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen said he focused on taking “one match at a time” during his campaign at the All England Open Badminton Championships, adding that a psychological discipline allowed him to navigate a demanding draw without the added weight of external expectations. 

Lakshya, who became only the second Indian player to reach two All England finals, returned with a silver medal after the 24-year-old went down in the men’s singles final 21-15, 22-20 against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi in the summit clash.

Lakshya’s mentor, Prakash Padukone, had reached the All England final in 1980 and 1981 and won the title in his first appearance in the summit clash.

Speaking about whether carrying the hopes of the nation alone ever affects a player’s performance or adds extra pressure in such big tournaments, Lakshya said he maintained a simplified perspective.

“I was focusing on one match at a time. I wasn’t thinking about the draw or who I might face next. Whenever I stepped on the court, my only focus was on my match,” Lakshya said at a virtual press conference.

The 24-year-old shuttler also opened up about the mental shift from the breakthrough run at the 2022 edition, where he reached the final of the prestigious tournament for the first time, saying while he played freely without expectations in 2022, he felt much better prepared this time to deal with the pressure of big matches. (IANS)

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