Almora’s 21-year-old player believes that this busy season is an ideal time to push himself even further.
India’s star shuttler Lakshya Sen has worked on his “speed and variations” in preparation for the upcoming season. He wants to win titles in the Asian and European circuits to get into the Paris Olympics as soon as possible.
Sen won the India Open for the first time in his Super 500 career in 2022. He was also a big reason why India won the Thomas Cup, the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, and the silver medal at the All England Championships.
The 21-year-old from Almora believes that this busy season, which includes major competitions like the Asian Games and World Championships, is the best time to push himself even further.
“For me, this is the right time. I might be eligible if I can maintain this ranking and keep getting better. Unfortunately, the previous time, I was very close to qualifying, but COVID-19 caused a few events to be canceled, so those are all lessons learned,” Sen told PTI in an interview. “My primary concern is my fitness. I lost some fitness after having my nose done, but I had time during the offseason to get it back. I worked hard to improve my speed, attacking speed, and backcourt variation. I always work to improve my defense.
“I gained a lot of confidence by participating in major events. I’ve performed on the elite tour before. I will endeavor to play freely in the event of injury. Following the August World Championships, Sen underwent surgery to straighten his nose. He went to Dubai in December to train with his new coach, Sameer Verma, Anup Sridhar, and Anders Antonsen.
“Because there are a lot of important events coming up, I need to properly plan the season. I must choose the best with care. If I want to stay in shape, it will all come down to maintaining a high ranking and participating in pre-tournament and off-season training.
“In the coming months, I intend to perform at three Asian and three European events. I must evaluate my performance and make a decision as the season progresses when Olympic qualification begins in May. To better prepare for the remainder of the tournament, my goal is to qualify in the first half.
Sen will compete in the India Open and the Indonesia Masters Super 500 after a narrow defeat at the season-opening Malaysia Open.
In addition to the crucial All England Championships (March 14–19), the European circuit will feature three Super 300 events in Germany (March 7–12), Switzerland (March 21–26), and Spain (March 28–April 2).
The Asian Games (September 23-October) and the BWF World Championships (August 21-27); One of the most significant events in the second half of the season will be the World Tour Finals, which run from December 13 to 17.
“EXCITED TO PLAY IN FRONT OF HOME FANS”
Because the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from playing in front of his home fans at the previous India Open, which was held behind closed doors, Sen, the current champion, is excited to play in front of his home fans.
I say, “I’ll probably keep my title.” He stated, “I mean it is a difficult draw because there are many good players in the same quarter, but I am looking to play all of them.” “I mean it is a difficult draw.” In other words, it’s a tough draw.”
“The crowds will be there this time. I was captivated by the crowd when the All England final was held the year before. I was looking forward to it because the stadium was packed and playing in front of fans provides additional motivation.
“FAMILY SUPPORT HELPED TO STAY FOCUSED DURING COURT CASE”
Sen claimed that the support of his family helped him stay focused during his impressive run last year, which occurred in the midst of an age-fudging case just days after he received the Arjuna Award. It was a difficult period. I believe that everything was planned to take place two days after the Arjuna Award.
“However, it didn’t really bother me much because I was concentrating on my training. We had nothing to do with anything. I didn’t care about my family’s assurances.
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