Sen overcame a difficult period to win the Canadian Open title in July and then advanced to the semifinals of the US Open and Japan Open twice more.
Lakshya Sen’s key priorities at the World Championships are to continue his strong run of form while achieving his first medal at the Asian Games and climbing into the top five in the world.
And he is hoping that his most recent performance will be successful.
Sen went through a difficult period before turning his luck around with a title-winning run in Canada in July and two semifinal performances at the US Open and Japan Open.
When his campaign gets underway in Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 21, the 21-year-old from Almora, who won his first medal at the World Championships in 2021, will try to bring home another medal.
Sen told PTI on the sidelines of the opening of the Badminton Association of India’s National Centre of Excellence: “With the World Championships only a week away, I feel that the previous tournaments I played will really help me go into the tournament.”
“With time, it will get better, and match preparation for this event is really fantastic as I have played a lot of solid matches recently, and it will give me a lot of confidence.
“I’m looking forward to really good training and then doing well at the World Championships,” you said.
Another high-profile event on his radar is the Asian Games, a continental multi-sport competition that will take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8.
It is a significant occasion that only occurs every four years, making it very noteworthy. In my career, I’ve participated in two such significant occasions. Meeting all the players and observing different sports is a huge learning experience for me because I participated in the Youth Olympics and the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
“So, I’m looking forward to doing well at the Asian Games, but right now, the World Championships are the top priority, and then we will focus on the Asian Games,” she said.
Sen went through a difficult period following the global Championships in August of last year, and he soon saw his global ranking fall from six to 25. He is presently ranked No. 11 in the world following several successful performances in recent weeks, and he hopes to climb into the top 5 next year.
“I would like to be among the top eight people in the world shortly, and once Olympic qualification is over, I would like to be among the top five. There are numerous tournaments taking place at the same time, though. Therefore, the emphasis should be on winning major competitions, and the ranking would take care of itself, he stated.
Sen had nasal surgery a year ago to correct a deviated septum after the World Championships. What came next was a drawn-out rehabilitation procedure that lasted eight months.
In the final four competitions of 2022, he made first-round exits due to his physical state, and he struggled in the first half of 2023.
“It has been a slow start for me this year, but in the last few months I was feeling great on court and the training that I did in the last 4-5 months has really helped me a lot,” he stated.
“At first, I tried a lot of novel stuff. It took some time for me to become used to the team after switching trainers and Anup (Sridhar) bhaiya’s arrival in December.
Sen made a few adjustments after his Korean coach Yong Sung Yoo left after the 2022 World Championships, bringing Sridhar on board and also bringing Deckline Leitao, a sport and exercise-science specialist, who had been Sen’s coach since he was ten years old, back on board.
It’s really coming together now that I can concentrate on on-court training and avoid injuries thanks to father (DK Sen) and Vimal (Kumar) sir’s presence. Along with it, I had some health problems. Due to my condition, I was unable to push myself during training.
I experienced a few problems following my post-nasal surgery, but I have overcome them over the past four to five months, and I am eager to play in a lot more competitions.
With the Olympic qualification on the line, it is particularly challenging for shuttlers to continue delivering results in the face of a demanding schedule that compels them to play week after week in search of ranking points.
Although there are numerous events, the rules apply to all players. It is essential for everyone to perform well in the initial round of qualification this year because it is the Olympic (qualification) year, according to Sen.
“There are a lot of events, and you just have to be ready to play a lot of matches and take care of your body, which is something I’m putting a priority on right now.
“What I’m looking for is a good training week and a good tournament to follow that.”
