2024 Paris Olympics Badminton: Who can impede Lakshya Sen on his quest for a medal finish? Predicting the Indian's knockout stage opponents

Lakshya Sen will compete at the Paris Olympics later this summer, making his debut at the Games. The Indian has been placed in a challenging lot for his group-stage matches, and the going will only get harder for him as he moves further into the tournament.

Sen has been placed in Group L, alongside Indonesia’s Jonathan Christie, Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon, and Belgium's Julien Carraggi. While each of these three opponents poses an individual threat, Christie will remain the favorite to top the group and make it out into the knockout stages.

However, if Sen does notch a victory over his Indonesian counterpart, he'll mostly run into compatriot and teammate HS Prannoy in the very first round. The two Indians have played each other seven times on the BWF circuit, with Lakshya winning four times.

If the Commonwealth Games gold medalist can convert that four into a five, he'll likely face either Chou Tien Chen or Kodai Naraoka in his quarterfinal match. Sen has struggled against both of these players previously, and he'll need to dig deep if he wants to make it through to the final four.

If Lakshya Sen manages to make his way to the semifinals of the Paris Olympics, he'll have to deal with reigning Olympic champion and former World No.1 Viktor Axleson.

Meanwhile, the top end of the draw is packed, and the finalist from that end could be either Shi Yu Qui, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Lee Zee Jia, Anders Antonsen, or Anthony Sinisuka Ginting.

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Lakshya Sen celebrates International Olympic Day ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics

Lakshya Sen’s outing at the Paris Olympics will mark his Olympic debut, and the Indian couldn't be more excited. Recently he took to his social media to celebrate the International Olympic Day, writing:

“Olympic Day hits different when you're gearing up for your first Games! The dream I've had since picking up a racket is becoming real. Can't wait to be part of the greatest celebration of sport and give it my all in Paris. Let's go! Happy International Olympic Day, everyone! Let's make every day count as we move towards this incredible celebration of human potential.”

While Lakshya Sen will head into the Paris Olympics as an underdog, he cannot be counted out of the running. The shuttler has plenty of experience ending up on the podium when no one expected him to, including the 2021 World Championships and the 2022 Thomas Cup.