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Lakshya Sen started the proceedings for the Indian badminton contingent on a high note at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Indian shuttler faced Kevin Cordon of Guatemala in his opening group stage match and delivered an electrifying performance.
From the outset, Sen dominated the rallies and won the opening game with a 21-8 scoreline. His precise smashes were too strong for Cordon, and the shuttler from Guatemala had absolutely no answer. The comfortable first-game victory set the stage for what seemed like a straightforward win, but Cordon, a semifinalist from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics had other plans.
In the second game, Cordon came out swinging and took an early lead, putting Sen on the back foot. Eight points into the second game, Sen found himself down 2-6 due to a series of unforced errors. The Guatemalan shuttler continued to apply pressure, extending his lead to 11-6 at the halfway break.
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As the game progressed, Sen found himself trailing 16-20, but the Indian dug deep and unleashed a newfound aggression to mount a remarkable comeback. A crucial moment in the comeback came when Sen won a challenge at 18-20, narrowing the gap to 19-20. He then leveled the score at 20-20 and also took the next two points, taking six consecutive points to clinch the game and the match.
Lakshya Sen will now turn his attention to his next group-stage match against Germany’s Julien Carraggi, scheduled for July 29 at 5:30 p.m. IST.
India’s doubles pairs will also be in action at the Paris Olympics 2024
Later in the day, India’s doubles pairs will also play their opening group stage matches at the Paris Olympics 2024.
The World No. 3 pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will face French pair Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar, while the women’s doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa will take on South Korea’s Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong.
Flag bearer and two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and men’s singles star HS Prannoy will take the court on July 28.
