This is Lakshya Sen's second title triumph at the senior level after the India International Series in Hyderabad last year
A day after turning 16, promising shuttler Lakshya Sen won the Bulgaria Open International Series in Sofia on Thursday. The unseeded Sen defeated Zvonimir Durkinjak of Croatia, 13 years elder to him, in three hard-fought games 18-21 21-12 21-17 in the men’s singles final lasting 57 minutes.
Uttarakhand's Sen, a trainee at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bengaluru, has been making rapid strides in the sport and is looked at as the next big thing in Indian badminton.
Sen, who is the No. 1 junior singles player in the world, tasted his second title triumph at the senior level, coming after winning the India International Series in Hyderabad last year.
U Vimal Kumar, director and chief coach at PPBA, felt Sen’s victory will only boost his confidence.
“This is an International Series, which is smaller in scale. But, for Lakshya’s level, it is a good step going forward,” Kumar told DNA from Bengaluru on Monday as he was preparing to leave for the BWF World Championships in Glasgow as Saina Nehwal’s coach.
Sen at Bulgaria Open IS
Rd 1: bt 1-Sam Parsons (ENG) 21-17 21-9
Rd 2: bt Kiran George (IND) 21-12 21-10
QF: bt Michal Rogalski (POL) 20-22 21-18 21-15
SF: bt Dinuka Karunaratne (SL) 21-19 21-14
Final: bt Zvonimir Durkinjak (CRO) 18-21 21-12 21-17
In the final, Sen was a little sluggish initially. According to information received by Kumar from Sayali Gokhale, who was accompanying the young shuttlers as coach, “Sen then picked up momentum and showed a lot more determination in the third game.”
Kumar added: “Winning a tournament is always good. Sen, being unseeded and beating the next line of European shuttlers, is a good sign. At his age, he is temperamentally sound. That plays an important role in the development of a shuttler.”
Sen has been on exposure trips overseas from PPBA along with three other promising shuttlers – Karnataka’s Rahul Bharadwaj, Meiraba from Manipur and Kerala U-17 national champion Kiran George.
Kumar said: “The last couple of months, we sent him to Malaysia and France. Interacting with greats like former world No. 1 Peter Gade Christensen, playing against players with different styles, has helped the youngsters.”
Kumar added that Gade – former All England Badminton champion from Denmark – interacting with them, sitting and dining with them has had a positive impact on the youngsters.
Sen will next play in the Vietnam Open Grand Prix in Ho Chi Minh City from September 4 and his main aim is the BWF World Junior Championships in October.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Sen")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}