Paris Olympics 2024: 'Lakshya Sen Has The Mental Edge To Challenge Axelsen,' Says Former Olympian Nikhil Kanetkar

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Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen is on the brink of making history as he prepares to face Danish superstar and defending champion Viktor Axelsen in the semi-finals of the men's singles badminton event at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Sunday (August 4).

A victory against Axelsen will secure a place in the final, putting him in contention for the gold, while a loss will see him compete for the bronze.

Nikhil Kanetkar, a former Indian badminton player and 2004 Olympian, shared his insights to myKhel on Lakshya's remarkable journey in Paris Olympics "Lakshya has been performing exceptionally well round by round," Kanetkar told MyKhel.

"His match against Jonatan Christie was significant. Christie, with his higher ranking, seemed to have the upper hand, but Lakshya outplayed him. It's all about handling the mental pressure at the Olympics, and Lakshya did that superbly. Having mentors like Vimal Kumar and Prakash Padukone with him is a tremendous advantage," the 45-year-old added further.

Discussing Lakshya's win against 2024 All England Champion Christie, Kanetkar was not surprised. "Lakshya has defeated most top players at some point. Confidence-wise, he's strong. Although Christie, being the All England and Asian Games (2018) champion, had an edge on paper, but it's all about who performs better on the day."

Reflecting on Lakshya's quarter-final win against Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien-chen, the 1998 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Kanetkar said, "Chou Tien-chen was very fast and aggressive in the first game. Lakshya stayed resilient and maintained his pace. By the third set, Lakshya had the upper hand, retrieving exceptionally well, which frustrated Tien-chen and gave Lakshya the edge."

Looking ahead to the semi-final against Axelsen, the 45-year-old Kanetkar acknowledged the challenge. "Axelsen is the reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1. Beating him is tough, but Lakshya, under the guidance of Prakash and Vimal sir, is mentally prepared. On his day, Axelsen is formidable, but it depends on the performance that day. If Lakshya can push Axelsen mentally, he has a chance."

Kanetkar also commented on Lakshya's confidence-building encounters. "Lakshya has trained with Axelsen in Dubai and knows his strengths and weaknesses. He needs to ensure he doesn't let Axelsen dominate and should aim to prolong the game," Kanetkar added further.

Despite Axelsen's dominant run at Paris 2024, Kanetkar remains optimistic. "Lakshya has lost only one game on his way to the semi-finals. His straight-sets win against Christie is impressive. This match is about resilience and strategy, and Lakshya is well-prepared," he signed off.