India’s young prodigy from the sport of badminton, Lakshya Sen has continued his impressive form as he has now become the first Indian male shuttler to qualify for the finals of iconic All England Open 2022. The 20-year-old was up against defending champion Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia on Saturday and although the odds were against him, Lakshya produced a sensational performance to win the match 21-13, 12-21, 21-19 in a thrilling contest.
Finals spot up for grabs as Lakshya Sen 🇮🇳 and Lee Zii Jia 🇲🇾 meet for the first time in a cracking match.#BWFWorldTour #AllEngland2022 pic.twitter.com/PpiCi21EbY
— BWF (@bwfmedia) March 19, 2022
The victory meant that Lakshya Sen has now defeated opponents like 2021 Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, 2021 Olympic bronze medal winner Anthony Ginting, 2021 World champion Loh Kean Yew and 2021 World bronze medalist Anders Antonsen in last few months.
As expected, the Indian fans went berserk on social media following Sen’s incredible win in England. While some hailed him as ‘SENsational’ Lakshya, others opined that he could be the male version of PV Sindhu in the making. The netizens were quick to point out that it is indeed a huge moment for Badminton India with the youngster taking giant strides at the global level.
Check out the reactions:
LAKSHYA SEN!!! Remember the name…He is a Superstar in making.
What an incredible performance today!!
— Raj (@Rajahtheraj) March 19, 2022
Couldn't watch the match but just got to know LAKSHYA SEN IS IN THE FINAL OF #AllEngland2022 !!! He is an insane talent and bloody amazing !!! This is a MASSIVE achivement for the young Indian badminton player.
— Navya (@Navya_0404) March 19, 2022
#LakshyaSen ..what a moment for Badminton India..Make us Proud!!🏆🏆
— Praveen Parasiya (@PraveenFIB) March 19, 2022
'Sensational Lakshya.. Go for the title.. #LakshyaSen #AllEnglandOpen2022
— Amol Ratnaparkhi (@amolratnaparkhi) March 19, 2022
@lakshya_sen amazing performance.. solid resilience… keep up the good work and your temperament… best of luck for the finals @BAI_Media @BWFScore
— Vinay Kapoor (@vinay_ons) March 19, 2022
So hyped for @lakshya_sen rn. First Indian Mens singles player to reach the All England Final since Pullela Gopichand where he won it in 2001. Only Gopichand and a certain Prakash Padukone have won the biggest and oldest Badminton prize of all.#AllEngland2022 #AllEnglandOpen
— Utpal Narvekar (@project_utpal9) March 19, 2022
Lakshya Sen 🔥🔥 What a star!
Male PV Sindhu in the making! Maybe even better! #AllEnglandOpen2022— Ankit Juneja (@ankitjuneja1996) March 19, 2022
🤞for @lakshya_sen! Pullela Gopichand had won #AllEngland 21 years after @padukoneprakash had won in 1980. Will the history get repeated by @lakshya_sen again after 21 years!
— Kamakhya Nr. Singh (@K9Singh) March 19, 2022
Indian player in All England Final history:
1947: Prakash Nath (runner-up)
1980: Prakash Pradukone (champion)
1981: Prakash Pradukone (runner-up)
2001: Pullela Gopichand (champion)
2015: Saina Nehwal (runner-up)
2022: LAKSHYA SEN #AllEngland2022 #AllEnglandOpen2022 #LakshyaSen— nnis (@nnis_sports) March 19, 2022
Unreal how quickly he’s emerging as a bonafide superstar. Doesn’t matter if it’s Axelsen in the final or not, Lakshya starts as an equal favourite to win it all. Still can’t believe he’s in the final of ALL ENGLAND
— Vaibhav Manocha (@BeingMinchu) March 19, 2022
In the final on March 20, he will be up against the winner of other semi-final clash between Viktor Axelsen (World No.1) and Chou Tien Chen (World No.4). If Lakshya Sen can clinch the title, it would be a historic occasion for the country which will be remembered for ages. The fans would be hoping that the youngster can go on and complete the well-deserved triumph on Sunday, but there is no doubt that it won’t be any easy task against a quality opponent, irrespective of who is up against.
