Lakshya Sen’s bid for a historic badminton bronze ended with a loss to Lee Zii Jia:
India’s Lakshya Sen fell short of securing a historic men’s singles bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, losing to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in a gripping match on Monday.
At La Chapelle Arena, the 22-year-old Sen, ranked 22nd, faced a 13-21, 21-16, 21-11 defeat against the world No. 7 Lee Zii Jia. Despite a strong start and initial dominance, Sen was unable to sustain his form. He led in the first game, capitalizing on Lee’s early errors and tactical advantages to secure a 17-12 lead, eventually winning the first game 21-16.
However, Lee Zii Jia made a remarkable comeback in the second game, winning five consecutive points to equalize at 8-8, eventually taking the game 21-16. Sen struggled with a bruised right forearm, which was visibly taped during the match, and his mental resilience faltered in the third game. Lee Zii Jia took control early, racing to a 9-2 lead and extending it to 16-8 before closing out the match 21-11.
This match marked Sen’s second loss to Lee Zii Jia, despite having previously defeated him at the All England Open earlier in the year. Sen, who entered the bronze medal match after a narrow defeat to Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Viktor Axelsen, had previously made history by becoming the first Indian shuttler to reach the men’s singles semi-finals at the Summer Games. He also topped his group, defeating world No. 4 Jonatan Christie and compatriot HS Prannoy in earlier rounds.
