Seeking much-needed spark inside the court

Lakshya beating Shi Yu Qi would be good breakthrough, says coach

- ANMOL GURUNG @ Chennai

THE season so far has been an immense slog for badminton ace Lakshya Sen. Victories have been at a premium and the shuttler, despite his unarguable talent, has largely been at sea while trying to navigate high-intensity matches inside the court. But that narrative can change in no time. With the all-important World Championships in Paris around the corner, Lakshya will be hoping to buck the trend.

With the gold-standard event in mind, the shuttler from Almora is currently training in Paris alongside some of the elite French players. The Indian, who celebrated his 24th birthday on August 16, will be returning to a venue — Porte de La Chapelle Arena — where he had narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal last year. Having said that, he has also tasted success there, having reached the semifinals of the French Open in summer last year. And the Indian had shown some form during his last outing — Macau Open, gaining crucial match-practice in the process.

However, he has to be near-flawless from the onset during the BWF Grade 1 event, which is scheduled to be held from August 25 to 31, as he will be facing China's Shi Yu Qi, who has been one of the standouts of the season so far with four titles to his name.