After All England Open Badminton heroics Lakshya Sen says he has the self-belief to beat big players 

Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen announced his arrival on the international stage with a stupendous run in the last few months. This includes the most-recent silver medal at the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championship.

Lakshya Sen lost to World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen 10-21, 15-21 in the final. With the loss, he missed out on an opportunity to become the third Indian to win the prestigious tournament.

The versatile shuttler, however, has taken the loss in his stride and introspected on the final. In an interaction with select media, Lakshya said the atmosphere of playing in such a big final made him a little nervous.

"The atmosphere and everything made me nervous before the match. The toss made a difference. I could have taken more control in the beginning but the lead was too much and so it was hard for me. I played well in the second game and I got rhythm. If I could have taken control then, I could have had a chance," he said.

Lakshya Sen grows as a player

Being in the limelight isn't new for the young shuttler. He was number one at the junior level as well and handled success and failure with grace.

As a player on the international stage, Lakshya Sen has emerged as a different player. Transforming his game style and combining it with perseverance, Lakshya has broken many barriers.

His new-found confidence is one of the major weapons in his armory. The young player said playing against some of the best in the world has made him more confident.

"I played a lot of tournaments after the pandemic and it gave me the self-belief and realization that I couldn't play an attacking game all the time. I realized that I should also play a patient game and the transformation happened there. Playing against Viktor Axelsen, Kento Momota and other top players gave me the confidence. There is a difference in my approach and now I have the self-belief to go out there and beat the big players," he explained.

The heroics at the All England Open Badminton Championship helped the shuttler leapfrog to become the ninth best badminton player in the world.

Speaking about the rankings, Lakshya said it was important for him to maintain his rank. This would help him get a good draw and qualify for big-ticket events easily.

"I have to keep my world rankings in mind because it will help me to qualify for big events like the Olympics. I also have to keep myself fit going into big events. It will also help me in the draw and I will not have to play any top players till the quarter-finals, and it would help me focus on winning tournaments," he added.