THE POWER OF PATIENCE

A steady approach has helped badminton player Lakshya Sen secure a spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics

- Shail Desai

After the China Masters in November last year, Lakshya Sen felt the need to hit pause. Since August, he had won just two matches in eight tournaments on the BWF World Tour, making it past the opening round only once. His qualification hopes for the Paris Olympics were hanging by a thread.

That's when he had a detailed discussion with coach Prakash Padukone to understand his shortcomings. That conversation seems to have done wonders for Sen, who made the cut for the Olympics in April. "He asked me to change my mindset, to look at winning a few matches every week rather than qualification on the whole," says the 22-year-old Sen.