Badminton legend Prakash Padukone stated that Lakshya Sen has all the qualities to “remain a medal contender for the next few years”.
Lakshya, who trains at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) here, recorded a fairytale runner-up finish at the prestigious All England championships on Sunday.
“Lakshya 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,” Padukone stated.
One of the mentors
Padukone, who in 1980 created history by becoming the first Indian to win the All England Open, counts as one of Lakshya’s mentors.
Lakshya joined PPBA a little over a decade ago, and has prospered under the guidance of Padukone, co-founder Vimal Kumar and others at the academy.
“Lakshya is hard-working, 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 said.
No flash in the pan
“The recent leg of European tournaments have been very successful for Lakshya, as he has beaten some of the players ranked in 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.
“This is never an easy task, especially for a youngster like Lakshya,” Padukone said.
Padukone, 66, urged the youngster to focus on claiming the ultimate prize — Olympic glory.
“Lakshya will most certainly break into the top-10 when the world rankings are announced next week. It is undoubtedly a great achievement, but I would want him to continue his ultimate quest for Olympic glory,” Padukone said.
