Lakshya Sen rose to his career-best ever world rank in the Badminton World rankings. After his heroic performance in the German open 2022, he surpassed Kidambi Srikanth and reached the 11th position in the Badminton World rankings.
The rising Indian shuttler played bravely through his injury in the 2022 German Open final against the three-time World Junior Champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn. Meanwhile, he also defeated World No 1 Victor Axelsen in one of the matches in the German open. Lakshya was simply phenomenal over the last few months. He said at the beginning of the year that his aim for 2022 will be to enter the Top 10 rankings. Presently, he holds 70086 points in the men's singles list.
Lakshya acquired 5950 ranking points after becoming the runner-up of the 2022 German Open. This helped him to ride his position above in chat and displace Kidambi as World No. 11.
Indian Badminton player Kidambi Srikanth dropped his position in the chart. He is now sitting at the 12th rank with 69,158 points. B Sai Praneeth also dropped his place in the chart and is now acquiring the 19th rank.
Kidambi Srikanth Stuns Yushi Tanaka to Reach Malaysia Masters Final, First Since 2019
Srikanth will now face either Kodai Naraoka of Japan or China's Li Shi Feng in the final, as he aims to clinch his first title since the 2017 French Open.
Kidambi Srikanth turned back the clock in spectacular fashion, battling past Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21-18, 23-21 in a heart-pounding semi-final at the Malaysia Masters on Saturday.
The 32-year-old Indian badminton star, once the world’s best, is now headed to his first BWF World Tour final since 2019—a moment that feels like a triumphant homecoming for fans who’ve cheered him through thick and thin.
Srikanth, who had slipped to world number 82 earlier this month, battled through the qualifiers to reach the main draw of the tournament. Srikanth's journey to the final has been nothing short of inspiring, as he outclassed higher-ranked opponents with a combination of determination and resilience.
The tightly contested match against Tanaka saw Srikanth hold his nerve in crunch moments, particularly in the second game, where he edged out a 23-21 victory after a very close finish.
This achievement marks a significant comeback for the Indian shuttler, who has faced challenges with form and rankings in recent years. His last BWF final appearance was at the 2019 India Open against Viktor Axelsen, and this achievement in Kuala Lumpur signals a potential return to his peak form.
Srikanth will now face either Kodai Naraoka of Japan or China's Li Shi Feng in the final, as he aims to clinch his first title since the 2017 French Open.
I'M CRYING 😭❤️
Srikanth Kidambi Into The Finals Of BWF Malaysia Masters 2025 !!!
Srikanth Kidambi Defeats Yushi Tanaka In Straight Games 🇮🇳 21-18 , 24-22 🇯🇵
India's experienced shuttler Kidambi Srikanth on Friday booked his berth in the semi-finals of the Malaysia Masters 2025 badminton tournament. Srikanth is now the only Indian in the tournament.
Against world number 65, Srikanth defeated France's 18th seed Toma Junior Popov 24-22, 17-21, 22-20 in a match that lasted one hour and 14 minutes. Former world number one Srikanth will have to overcome the challenge of Japan's Yushi Tanaka to make it to the Malaysia Masters 2025 final. Tanaka defeated Toma Junior's brother Christo Popov 21-18, 16-21, 21-6.
This will be the first semi-final in a year for World Championship and Asian Games silver medalist Srikanth.
Srikanth made inspiring comeback to seal the contest
The Indian badminton player made a brisk start, surging to a 7-4 lead in the opening game, only for Popov to claw his way back. It was the French shuttler who held a game point opportunity at 21-20, but Srikanth turned the tide to snatch the opener.
Srikanth trailed by four points at the break in the second game. He drew level at 15-15 but lost steam as the match went into the decider.
Srikanth was also four points behind his opponent in the third midgame break of the match, but this time, he mounted an inspiring comeback to seal the contest. It was his fourth win over Toma Junior Popov from six meetings.
In the other semi-final, fourth seed Kodai Naraoka of Japan and second seed Li Shi Feng of China will face each other. In mixed doubles, the journey of the pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto came to an end in the quarter-finals. Kapila and Crasto lost to top seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin of China 22-24, 13-21 in 35 minutes.
Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen crashed out in the first round of the Thailand Open 2025 badminton tournament while Malvika Bansod, Aakarshi Kashyap and Unnati Hooda advanced to the second round of the women's singles after winning tough matches in the Super 500 tournament.
Unnati faces a tough challenge
Unnati Hooda faces a tough challenge against top seed Pornpawee Chochuwong, while Malvika Bansod takes on former world champion and seasoned Thai shuttler Ratchanok Intanon in the second round.
Aakarshi Kashyap completes the women's singles trio as she looks to continue her campaign. In the men’s singles draw, Tharun Mannepalli remains the lone Indian hope.
Lakshya and Priyanshu suffered early exits
In the men's singles, both Lakshya Sen and Priyanshu Rajawat suffered early exits, bowing out in the first round. The women’s singles saw better fortunes, with Aakarshi Kashyap, Unnati Hooda, and Malvika Bansod progressing to the second round, while Anupama Upadhyay and Santosh Ramraj were eliminated.
Lakshya Sen was ousted by Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen in a three-game encounter that lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes. Sen, ranked among India’s top badminton talents, went down 18-21, 21-9, 17-21 in a match that saw momentum swings.
After narrowly losing the opening game, Sen responded with a dominating performance in the second, unleashing sharp smashes and fast-paced rallies to level the match. But Nguyen dug deep in the decider, pulling ahead 17-13 and holding his composure in the pressure moments to complete the upset and move into the second round. India’s men’s singles woes were compounded by Priyanshu Rajawat’s exit, as he fell short in another three-game battle, losing 13-21, 21-17, 16-21 to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan.
Kidambi Srikanth could not qualify for main round
Earlier, former world no.1 Kidambi Srikanth could not qualify for the main round of the Thailand Open 2025 badminton tournament after losing his second match in the qualifiers on Tuesday.
Srikanth, a world championships silver medallist, defeated Sankar Subramanian 21-15, 21-17 in his first round of qualifiers before losing to Tharun Mannepalli 21-16, 21-19 in the second.
Indian Badminton players struggle with the slow court: Here is why
Indian Badminton players even after dominating in the Asian countries fail repeatedly in countries like Europe and Olympic stages. What can be the underlying problem?
The contemporary Indian Badminton has so far gained the popularity in its country. However, certain issues need to be resolved. The biggest concern lies in the shuttlers facing a different environment in the non-Asian Countries. The major problem they face is the thick and slower court.
This issue had made India short of many assured medals by whiskers. Be it peak Kidambi Srikanth missing his World Title in 2017 to Reddy-Shetty failing in big tournaments.
How do Indian and Asian Courts differ from European Courts?
The Asian Summers
Speaking about the weather in the Asian summers, it is humid. The Asian stadia provide full on air-conditioned courts for athletes.
Air-conditioned rooms are marked favorable for shuttles, as the shuttles fly faster here. Here are the reasons:
Lower air density: Air conditioning reduces temperature and humidity, resulting in denser air with fewer air molecules. This decrease in air resistance allows shuttlecocks to travel faster.
Reduced air turbulence: Air conditioning systems circulate and filter the air, minimizing turbulence and air pockets that can slow down the shuttlecock.
Consistent airflow: Air conditioning maintains a consistent airflow, reducing unpredictable air currents that can affect shuttlecock trajectory.
Lower humidity: Dry air reduces the shuttlecock's drag coefficient, enabling it to fly faster.
This helps the athletes to maintain faster rallies and increased smashes with an attacking play. The also helps them to read the speed and work on their reaction time'
Added to this, the enhthralling supporters add more fuel to the pagddlers when tired.
European winters
European winters contradics the humid weather. Unlike the windy weather here, the air feels cal, slow and still.
Slow and still air significantly impacts shuttlers' performance, technique, and strategy. it included different physical challenges along with rectified techniques and strategies.
The challanges a shuttler faces due to these conditions are as follows:
Reduced shuttlecock speed: Slower reactions, less power.
Increased drag: Shuttles dip and drop unexpectedly.
Unpredictable trajectory: Difficulty judging distance and direction.
Fatigue: Players expend more energy to generate power.
However, these are the "negetives" bigger stages like Olympics, offer.
Slow court, A Bane to the Shuttlers
Here are some instances when paddles were denied their crown due to the courts' behaviour.
2017 Kidambi Srikanth, a fast court specialist in India missed his Worlds Title in the slow Glaswegian conditions. The slow pitch defied from the title as the Korean Son Wan-ho defeated him in the quarterfinal.
Tanvi Patri, a 13 year old rookie got defeated in Thailand's sluggish pitch last December. The thick air denied her speed, showing a red alert that she needs to gain some strength.
And the most discussed duo- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty. Right now, Reddy-Shetty is the finest doubles player in Indian Badminton periphery. Reddy still has his world fastest smash of 493km/hr. Even then, this duo cannot assert full power in slow court. And thus, they lost a few of the most serious and well-deserved titles.
Demands of Sluggish Pitches
Slow and still air significantly impacts shuttlers' performance, techniques, and strategies. Someone who was been trained on faster courts will find it difficult to adapt to the conditions if exposed.
The shuttles face certain physical changes that are listed below:
Reduced shuttlecock speed: Slower reactions, less power.
Increased drag: Shuttles dip and drop unexpectedly.
Unpredictable trajectory: Difficulty judging distance and direction.
Fatigue: Players expend more energy to generate power.
An athlete thus needs to make a few technical adjustments to combat the challenges.
Slower stroke speed: Compensate for reduced shuttlecock speed.
Increased wristwork: Generate power and control.
Softer touches: Reduce shuttlecock's descent.
More spin: Control shuttlecock trajectory.
The strategic changes include:
Patient play: Waiting for opportunities to attack.
Defensive focus: Exploiting opponents' struggles.
Net play: Using precise, soft shots.
Angle play: Creating sharp angles to disrupt opponents.
Effects on a few notable Shots:
Smashes: Less effective due to reduced power.
Clear shots: More difficult to execute.
Drops: Harder to control.
Slow Court? Not an Issue!
Not an old story when Lakshya Sen lost to Victor Axelsen in the Olympics semi-final. Slower Courts like that in Europe, especially in stages like Olympics demand patience and exquisite footwork, with strong defence. Lakshya had his defence in the checklist, but his footwork was still a sore in his throat. The Denmark giant was a set ahead when Lakshya fought but lost to nerves.
Lakshya Sen shaking hands with Victor Axelsen after being defeated in the Olympics Semifinal. (AP)
The bronze medal match had all these including his exposed injury in his smashing hand. The defence he has can aid in this condition but muscular opponents are still a challange to him.
The other veteran on court H.S. Pranoy is a clever lad with versatile techniques. He has got his techniques handy to combat the sluggishness. He thus not only won in Malaysia, but has a Worlds medal round his neck.
Two-time Olympic medalist P.V. Sindhuwith her blazing power heft and work rate till 2019, defies these challanging conditions. The Olympic bronze medalist Saina Nehwal with her sturdy power smash overshadowed her limitations in court coverage capabilities.
Indian Approach
India has a love for stroke-making. Even though it is aesthetically pleasing, it question the practicality in World Badminton.
With the October ticks in, the Europe session starts. The badminton camp then comes back and does a wide India-hoping, visiting smallcities playing number of tournaments! But how that that judge their efficiency in slow courts!
The slow courts host a major number of important international tournaments. With India not getting enough time their will never expire the frustration of them not getting medals.
Rookies like Priyanshu Rajawat will depend more on strokeplays like his ancestor Srikant used todo. Not failing the later, Rajawat will succumb to frustrating errors, missing points. Srikant had Son Wan-ho, but Rajawat will have way more equipped opponents- Kunlavut Vitidsarn and of Kodai Naraoka.
Its high time for Indian to spend more time on slow courts, count quality over quantity, in order to not miss any well deserved title in fututre,
India At Paris Olympics 2024 Day 10 (August 5) Highlights | Lakshya Sen loses his Bronze match; Indian Table tennis team scripts history with its first-ever entry into quarters; Nisha Dahiya loses 8-10 to Pak Sol Gum freestyle 68kg quarterfinals after suffering an injury
Catch all the LIVE updates of Day 10 of India at Paris Olympics 2024 as India's star badminton player Lakshya Sen looks to clinch the bronze medal while Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka will be in action in shooting.
Lakshya Sen will be in action in the men's singles badminton bronze medal match while Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka will be participating in the Skeet Mixed Team qualification.
Wrestling: Heartbreak for Nisha Dahiya; She fought through the pain but ultimately lost 8-10
Nisha Dahiya suffered a shoulder injury during the bout and it led to her 8-10 loss to Pak Sol Gum of North Korea in the women's freestyle 68kg quarterfinals.
She fought through the pain, but her injury ultimately stopped her from competing at her best. She lost the game despite leading by 8-2 at one stage. She had to take 3 medical time-outs after the injury and it's a sad ending for her and India.
Aug 5, 2024, 2:53 PM
Women's freestyle 68kg quarterfinals: Pak Sol Gum 8-8 Nisha Dahiya
Pak Sol Gum fights back to make it 8-8 against injured Nisha Dahiya in the second period.
Aug 5, 2024, 1:46 PM
Another heartbreak for India | Set 3 Points: Lakshya Sen 11-21 Lee Zii Jia
The wait for the fourth Olympic medal in the Paris Olympics 2024 continues for India in the men's singles event Lakshya Sen loses 1-2 (21-13, 16-21, 11-21) to Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia in the men's singles bronze medal match.
Aug 5, 2024, 1:35 PM
Badminton Bronze Medal match Set 3: Lee Zii Jia 11-6 Lakshya Sen
Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia goes into the break with a commanding 11-6 lead against Lakshya Sen in the deciding set.
Aug 5, 2024, 1:23 PM
Heartbreak for India in the Skeet Mixed team event
India scores a perfect eight but the Chinese pair reply with a perfect score of their own to seal a 44-43 win and the bronze medal match.
Maheshwari Chauhan and Anantjeet Singh Naruka finish fourth in the Skeet Mixed team event.
Aug 5, 2024, 1:22 PM
Badminton: It's 1-1 after set 2
Lee Zii Jia fights back to make it 1-1 after winning the second set (21-16) against Lakshya Sen in the men's singles bronze medal match. The third and final game will decide the winner.
Aug 5, 2024, 1:13 PM
Badminton: Men's Singles Bronze Medal match - Lakshya 15-18 Lee | Set 2
Lee has taken a 3-point lead despite a poor start.
Aug 5, 2024, 1:10 PM
Shooting: Mixed team bronze medal match
India are back into the contest at 13-13 against China.
Aug 5, 2024, 1:07 PM
Badminton | First game for Lakshya 21-13
Lakshya sen won the first set by 21-13
Aug 5, 2024, 12:55 PM
Badminton | Lakshya Sen is in action
India's Lakshya Sen's fight for bronze medal in badminton singles has started. India's young sensation Lakshya faces the challenge of Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia.
At present Lakshya has taken the lead.
Aug 5, 2024, 12:24 PM
Athletics | Kiran could not qualify for the finals
India's Kiran Pahal could not qualify for the final in the women's 400-meter heat. She stood seventh in her heat.
Aug 5, 2024, 11:33 AM
Shooting | Skeet mixed team qualifies for the bronze medal match
In the skeet mixed team event, the Indian pair of Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka have qualified for the bronze medal match. The Indian pair stood at third position.
The pair can give India its fourth medal.
India will go up against the People’s Republic of China in the bronze medal match today at 6:30 PM IST at the Chateauroux.
Aug 5, 2024, 11:16 AM
Indian Table tennis team in quarterfinals for the first time
Indian women's table tennis team of Manika Batra, Shreeja Akula and Archana Kamath has entered the quarter-finals by defeating Romania.
The Indian team defeated Romania 3-2.
India will face the USA or Germany in the women’s team table tennis quarter-final.
Aug 5, 2024, 10:29 AM
Table Tennis | Archana Kamath lost
After Sreeja Akula, Archana Kamath has also faced defeat. Archana lost 3-1 against Bernadette Szőcs.
Now the score of India and Romania has come to 2-2. Now the winner will be decided from the fifth and final match.
Aug 5, 2024, 10:18 AM
Shooter Manu Bhaker will be the Indian flag bearer
Indian shooter Manu Bhaker, who won two bronze medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics, will be India's flag bearer in the closing ceremony.
Manu has won bronze medals in 10m Air Pistol women's singles and team competition of the same event.
Aug 5, 2024, 10:13 AM
Table Tennis | Sreeja Akula lost in a thrilling match
Shreeja Akula has lost in the singles match against Elizabeta Samara 3-2. However, a close contest was seen between Sreeja and Samara. Even though Sreeja lost, India's lead against Romania remains.
Score: India - 2 Romania - 1
Aug 5, 2024, 9:15 AM
Table Tennis | Manika won the R16 match
Manika Batra won 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 against Romania’s Bernadette Szocs in the women’s team round of 16 match.
India now have a 2-0 lead over Romania.
Aug 5, 2024, 9:06 AM
Table Tennis | Manika won the second game
Manika has defeated Bernadette in the second game as well.
Manika won this game by a margin of 11-7.
Aug 5, 2024, 9:03 AM
Table Tennis | Manika won in the first game
In the singles match, Manika has won the first game against Bernadette.
However, the Romanian player made a great start, at one point leading 4-1, but after that, Manika made a brilliant comeback. The Indian player won this game 11-5.
Aug 5, 2024, 9:00 AM
Table Tennis | Manika Batra is in action
Indian player Manika Batra has entered the second team event against Bernadette Szőcs of Romania.
Aug 5, 2024, 8:56 AM
Table Tennis | India take lead over Romania
Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath took the lead in the first team event by defeating Romania's Adina and Samara 3-0 in the opening match.
Aug 5, 2024, 8:49 AM
Table Tennis | India 2-0 over Romania
Sreeja and Archana have also won the second game 12-10.
The Indian pair has gone ahead by 2-0.
Aug 5, 2024, 8:43 AM
Table Tennis | Indian Women's team won the first game
Indian pair of Archana Kamath and Sreeja Akula made a good start against Romanian pair of Adina Diaconu and Elizabeta Samara.
India won the first game 11-9.
Aug 5, 2024, 8:39 AM
Table Tennis | Women's table tennis team in action
The competition of India's women's table tennis team has started. Their match is against Romania. Archana Kamath, Shreeja Akula, and Manika Batra are present in the Indian team.
Aug 5, 2024, 8:36 AM
Shooting | Maheshwari and Anant Jeet reach 13th position
The Indian pair has achieved the 13th position. However, they still have a long way to go for the medal.
Aug 5, 2024, 8:32 AM
Shooting | Skeet mixed team qualification event begins
Mixed team qualification in skeet is currently underway at the Shotgun Range, Châteauroux. India's Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka are participating in this event.
The top two placed teams will compete for the gold medal, while the third placed teams out of 4 teams will compete for the bronze medal.
Aug 5, 2024, 8:30 AM
Wrestlers begin campaign
The 10th will also be special for India because on this day their wrestling team will start its campaign. From India, Nisha Dahiya will participate in women's 68 kg freestyle. She will face Ukraine's Tetiana Sova.
Aug 5, 2024, 8:25 AM
Badminton | Lakshya will fight for bronze
It was a huge blow for India and shuttler Lakshya Sen as he lost a big opportunity to reach the men's singles final. Sen lost in the semi-finals to world number two Viktor Axelsen in straight games 20-22, 14-21 in the semi-finals in a match that lasted 54 minutes.
However, Lakshya has another chance to win a medal in his first Olympics as he will play against Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the bronze medal playoff at 6:00 PM today.
Aug 5, 2024, 3:54 AM
India at Paris Olympics 2024: Day 10 (5th August) Schedule
Shooting
Skeet Mixed Team (Qualification):Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka - 12.30 pm
Table tennis
Women's Team (Pre-quarterfinal):India vs Romania - 1.30 pm
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