Lakshya Sen Makes History as First Indian to Reach Olympics Badminton Men’s Singles Semi-Finals:India’s Lakshya Sen has made history by reaching the men’s singles semi-finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The unseeded shuttler delivered a remarkable performance, coming from behind to defeat Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen, the 12th seed, with a scoreline of 19-21, 21-15, 21-12 in a grueling three-game match.
Sen becomes the first Indian to advance to the semi-finals in men’s singles badminton at the Summer Games. His predecessors, Parupalli Kashyap and Kidambi Srikanth, reached the quarter-finals in London 2012 and Rio 2016, respectively.
“It’s a dream come true,” Lakshya said after the match. “I’m thrilled to be in the semi-finals, but the real challenge begins now. It’s crucial to recover well and prepare for the next match.”
Chou Tien-chen, ranked 11th in the world, initially took control of the game, leading 5-2 and eventually winning the first game 21-19. Despite a strong start by the Indian, Chou’s consistent play kept him ahead in the first game.
In the second game, Sen turned the tables, taking a narrow 11-10 lead at the break. He maintained his aggressive play to win 21-15 and forced a deciding game. Sen’s momentum carried into the final game, where he built a 9-4 lead and capitalized on Chou’s errors to seal the match.
Sen, who also topped his group and defeated world No. 4 Jonatan Christie earlier, will face defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the semi-finals on Sunday.
