The Lakshya Sen project: Where it’s at and where it’s going

Badminton star Lakshya Sen won India's 20th gold medal by beating Malaysia's Tze Yong in the men's singles final at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The Malaysian played at a high level throughout the event and that showed in his twin victories over Kidambi Srikanth as well but even when he took the first game against the young Indian in the final, Sen didn't seem worried. Rather, as he so often has, he believed in his abilities. He made a tactical switch, took his consistency up a level and played longer points to eventually win 19-21, 21-9, 21-16.

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It sounds way easier than it was. For those who have been following Sen, the 20-year-old’s tenacity didn't come as a surprise. We saw him do something similar against Lee Zii Jia at the All England Open. His standout quality, for a while now, has been his defence but it is the mental flexibility that shows the Lakshya Project, which began in 2013, is now starting to near completion.

Taking a punt on a youngster in sport is risky. There are so many variables; you can hope but can't be certain. At the same time, very few in Indian badminton have received as much investment as Sen has—youth camps, exposure trips, different coaches and an environment where he was allowed to constantly hone skills.

Sen entered the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) when he was 10. There was something about him that caught badminton legend Prakash Padukone's eye; something that led the usually reticent Padukone to proclaim that one day this boy will conquer the world.

Vimal Kumar, co-founder, director and chief coach of the PPBA, recalls that it wasn't Lakshya alone that came into the academy. “We identified around 4-5 players with him and we have given equal opportunities and resources to all. It is not as if Lakshya has been given anything special,” said Kumar. “Lakshya was 10; his dad was staying in Almora, and despite having a coaching background, they never interfered in anything. If anything, they would ensure he came back fit from a break but that was it.”

But now when you watch Sen play you notice he has become a player who doesn't get intimidated even by the best in the world. So, what changed? “The 4-5 of them were at a very similar level. The others are still playing and in practice sessions they still beat Lakshya. But in matches, Lakshya has taken that one step ahead. Of course, Lakshya may have better ability... I am not talking about technical ability or footwork. I am talking about the ability to grasp, analyse, learn from situations, improve based on those learnings. Whether we sent him to Denmark or Indonesia, there was always a group of players that was sent—it wasn't just Lakshya. But when you look at it, now everybody is talking about Lakshya because he has made a jump but there were others with him... they are still playing and they are still young but they too need to make that step. You have to grab the opportunity if you want to make a mark at the world level. In a way, Lakshya did that."

The key has been how self-sufficient Sen seems to be on court. He is ready to make tactical changes if he feels his initial game plan is not working, and he is able to do that while taking into account the opponent's level. He has interacted intensively with Padukone, former world no 1s Peter Gade and Morten Frost and managed to figure out what he needs to take from these conversations. “A lot of these things, you cannot spoon-feed,” said Kumar. “Eventually, you want the player to get better and a player can get better by learning from a lot of places. Everyone has contributed to his success. We want them to move on when they hit a wall.”

It is an approach that has worked for Sen. “There have been plenty who have backed me from a young age,” said Sen. “I have been really blessed to have the right kind of support system at the right time during my career throughout the last 10 years. OGQ coming in, me shifting to PPBA to train there. Having foreign trips to Thailand or Indonesia, going and sparring with different types of players, it all really helped me from a young age. Last year, playing with Viktor (Alexsen) for two weeks and then this year too sparring with those quality players has pushed quite me a lot.”

What next?

Heightened expectations aside, Sen will face a lot of things in the future but he seems ready. In sport, you learn a lot through defeat. And if you are prepared to learn and rise again, you keep getting opportunities as well. These lessons were drilled into him early. “It is very important—what they see and learn in their formative years,” said Kumar. “I have always felt that between 11-16 is the toughening process. Getting up early, going for training, quickly having breakfast, rushing to school, coming back, going for training again, and then homework, dinner, and finally sleep. Diet and psychology all come at a later stage. First, they need to learn about the grind... about what it takes."

“If you are scared of losing, the problem starts. You avoid players. Instead, you need to look forward to playing in competitions. Winning... losing... is just part of sport but you have to approach it in that way.”

That is where Lakshya's gradual rise has helped. He made his mark in the juniors but in the seniors, he took two years to steady himself before pushing forward.

“They have to have the drive,” said Kumar. "When you interact with them you get a clear idea. We encourage them to make notes. Every day before they go to sleep, I encourage our students to think -- have I done justice? Am I satisfied? Could I have done more? They don't have to come and show me the diary. It is more important that they themselves know.”

Padukone was self taught... he learned from observing and did it on his own because there was no one else to fall back on. Sen has been set along the same path where his urge to discover will drive him as much as his will to win. “I feel the basics remain the same,” said Sen. “The support system which I had will remain. It's still all very new for me. I have a very long career ahead of me. All the support is really going to help me in the future as well. They will remain my main point of contact—in training or any other aspect. A lot of other sponsors might come in, but the ones who have been there for me from the beginning are the ones who have really helped me come through.”

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