Did Lakshya Sen’s hand bruise dash his Olympic dream in the bronze medal match?

Lakshya Sen came close but fell short of making Indian badminton history by securing the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. After a challenging semifinal match against Viktor Axelsen, the Indian shuttler lost the bronze medal match to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia with scores of 13-21, 21-16, 21-11.

Lakshya performed impressively, even in his match against Viktor Axelsen, where he displayed focus and gained significant leads. He was a strong contender for a medal for India.

However, the young shuttler seemed uncomfortable throughout the match. He had a bruise on his right hand, and there was blood on the floor during play, which may have affected his performance.

HEART-BREAK FOR LAKSHYA SEN 💔

– Lakshya has lost the bronze medal match but the iconic run by Lakshya will be remembered forever in Indian Badminton 🌟 pic.twitter.com/BSDFU7iUCx

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 5, 2024

Reflecting on his experience, Lakshya said, “During the breaks between game, I felt like I was losing my momentum. Sometimes, I struggled to regain focus and take a proper break.”

A heartbreaking end for Lakshya

The disappointment was palpable for Lakshya. After the match, he commented, “I had my chances in the second set and could have definitely done better. Credit to my opponent. I came prepared, but fatigue kept building. I was ready to give my all.”