Paris Olympics: Lakshya Sen Embraces 'One Step at a Time' Mantra Ahead of Games Debut

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Indian badminton sensation Lakshya Sen is getting ready for his maiden Olympics to be held in Paris. The training in Marseille, France, the 19th-ranked shuttler in the world has put in a lot of work on net play and needlessly losing points toward the end of the match.

"We have focussed a lot on the overall improvement of the game and we had a good time for the last 6-7 weeks where I could really work on all areas of the game," Sen explained during a virtual interaction ahead of the Paris Olympics.

From working on his defensive strategies to improving his attacking moves, nothing has been left unturned for Sen. His training regime in Marseille has involved intense sessions that work on honing his skills while keeping them at peak performance throughout the matches.

"It is important to be sharp and be aggressive," Sen emphasised. "In the last few days, we are still trying to get good match practice here, play short games, and also have a good match practice session so that I am sharp towards the end of the game."

More importantly, Sen has been preparing relentlessly as he is to face stiff competition in his Group L at the Olympics, including world top-ranked opponent Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, who is ranked third globally.

"The last two to three times we have played, it has been a close encounter," Sen said of his previous battles with Christie. "I will watch those matches also, maybe a few things, what I can do better from last time, focus on my strengths, how I can control the game, how I can play my best."

Training in Marseille has been most similar to what he expects in Paris-especially with shuttle movement close to the sea, as this changes speed and drift. Having a dedicated team and structured training environment, Sen is more focused than ever on achieving a world-class performance at the Olympics.

"It was mainly about coming here early, getting used to the time zones, the sleeping patterns, and just being on the same page," Sen continued. "I would say the shuttle speed also matters a lot because in Bangalore it is quite fast."

"This is the biggest tournament of my life," Sen acknowledged with determination. "So I'm thinking about the first match and also winning the group because it's quite a tough group. Overall, I feel really prepared to go out there and perform my best, and the training has been good."

Looking ahead at the upcoming matches, especially in a potential encounter with fellow Indian HS Prannoy in the pre-quarterfinals.

"We have seen the draw. There is a possibility that we meet in the pre-quarterfinals, but it's a long way to go before that," said Sen. "I'm just focusing on qualifying first in my group. After that, one step at a time."

Keywords: Lakshya Sen, Indian badminton, Olympic debut, Paris Olympics, training in Marseille, net game improvement, match preparation, peak performance, shuttle speed adjustment, tournament conditions, Jonatan Christie, HS Prannoy, sports training regimen