Paris Olympics 2024: Lakshya Sen scripts history as he storms into semi-finals; eyes gold for India

Paris Olympics 2024: India's rising shuttler, Lakshya Sen on Friday i.e. on August 2, scripted history by stroming into the semi-finals of the men's singles event at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. Lakshya became the first Indian shuttler to reach the semi-final stage in the men's singles event following his 19-21, 21-15, 21-12 win over Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen.

The 22-year-old athlete from Almora showed immense determination against the world number 11 player from Taiwan. Meanwhile, PV Sindhu and the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were eliminated from the Games after losing their matches on Thursday.

Coming back to Sen, during the match, after losing the first set, Sen came back strong, adjusting his game to win the next two sets decisively. His resilience and skill, demonstrated through key smashes and strategic play, secured his place in the semi-finals and added a significant boost to India's medal hopes in the ongoing Olympics.

While speaking to reporters, Sen said, “I think this is something that I have ever dreamt of. It feels really good. There is a lot of work to do now, now it is the real test. I now have 48 hours to recover and get ready for the next match. I have to give my 100 per cent. He was strong at the net, so I tried to open up the game."

Earlier on Wednesday, Sen literally turned on the style with his incredible strokeplay during his march into the Olympics' pre-quarterfinals but one particular shot which left everyone, including his opponent Jonatan Christie, stunned was a jaw-dropping behind-the-back return. Anand Mahindra and Harsh Goenka also praised the young star for his impressive performance.

According to PTI, Sen will next compete against the winner of the match between Singapore's 2021 World Champion Loh Kean Yew and Denmark's Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the semi-finals.

(With inputs from agencies)