Lakshya Sen, the rising Indian badminton star, revealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his coach, Prakash Padukone, had taken away his cellphone throughout his complete Olympic competitors in Paris. PM Modi met and felicitated India’s Paris Olympics athletes on Independence Day at his residence, the place Lakshya mirrored on his expertise on the Games and shared insights into the challenges and cherisable moments he encountered throughout his debut on the Games.
He revealed that he had lengthy matches proper from the beginning, which required intense focus. Despite the calls for of the competitors, athletes made time to socialize, typically having dinner and assembly different worldwide athletes. “It was a big thing to share a dining room with some of them,” Sen remarked, emphasising the assembly with different athletes.
He admitted, “As a first-time Olympian, I was nervous during my initial matches, especially with the pressure of performing in front of a massive crowd. However, as the tournament progressed, I regained confidence and settled into my game.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also acknowledged Sen’s performance, reminding him, “You are from ‘Devbhumi (Uttarakhand),’ and you’re a movie star now.”
The Prime Minister’s words highlighted the pride of the nation in Sen’s achievements, even without a medal. In response, Sen shared a behind-the-scenes story, mentioning that coach Padukone took his phone during his matches to help him stay focused. “Prakash Sir had taken away my cellphone throughout the matches, and mentioned you will not get it till the matches are over,” Sen said.
Sen, made history as the first Indian shuttler to reach the semifinals in men’s badminton at the Olympics. He topped his group with victories over top players like Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie and compatriot HS Prannoy in the round of 16.
He also stunned Chou Tien-chen in the quarterfinals. But he fell short of bagging his maiden Olympics medal after losing to world no. 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the semifinal.
Reflecting on the overall support he received, Sen expressed, “It was heartbreaking, coming so near a win however falling quick ultimately.”
PM Modi then offered words of encouragement to a shuttler from Almora, stating, “It would have been great if you came back with a medal, but still, you played well. But, people watch with excitement, not just from abroad, but children in our country are inspired by how well you played in the Olympics.”
Sen concluded by expressing his willpower to proceed bettering his sport, practising arduous, and serving as an inspiration to younger badminton gamers in India.
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