“Blood On The Floor”: Lakshya Sen Reveals Why He Lost Momentum to Finish 4th in Paris Olympics Badminton

Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen faced a significant setback in the bronze medal play-off at the Paris Olympics, falling to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in three games. Despite a strong start, Sen struggled in the latter stages of the match, ultimately losing 13-21, 21-16, 21-11 in a 71-minute clash.

Sen, who had looked unstoppable early on, was hindered by fatigue and a recurring injury to his right arm. He required multiple medical timeouts and bandage changes during the match, which disrupted his momentum and concentration.

“I had my chances in the second set and could have definitely done better,” Sen admitted after the match. “But credit to him, he played a really good game. I think at the moment I’m just not able to think right now.”

Sen’s struggles became apparent as Lee mounted a comeback after trailing 3-8 in the second game. Lee’s nine-point streak shifted the game’s momentum, and despite Sen’s initial dominance, he was unable to adapt and counter Lee’s renewed aggression.

“I had to replace my bandage multiple times because of the injury, which led to several stoppages,” Sen explained. “There was blood on the floor that needed to be cleaned, and losing my rhythm during these breaks affected my game.”

This loss marks the first time in 12 years that India will return from the Olympics without a badminton medal. Previous Indian medallists include Saina Nehwal (2012) and PV Sindhu (2016, 2021), with Sindhu’s silver in Rio being the best performance to date.

Sen’s performance, along with the disappointing results of the men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, highlighted a challenging Olympics for Indian badminton.