Young badminton star Lakshya Sen clinched India’s 20th gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games after beating Malaysia’s NG Tze Yong 19-21, 21-9 and 21-16 in the men’s singles final on Monday. It was a neck-and-neck tie, but the Indian shuttler came up with his top game to bounce back from defeat in opening game and win the gold medal match.

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Sen reveals how he managed to turn the tide in his favour in the summit clash at the CWG 2022 and what he thinks about becoming only the fourth Indian shuttler to win CWG medal in men’s singles category.

Excerpts:

It was your maiden Commonwealth Games. Was there any kind of pressure of performing on such big stage?

Yes, there was a certain pressure as all of the matches in 2022 CWG were important, but there were coaches and other players to support me. Also, the pressure lasts for some time as once you’re on the court you try to open up and in that way, I really adapted to the situation. I’m happy with the way I managed things.

Were you sure of winning a medal in your maiden CWG?

I didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself thinking about the medal, but I always had that belief that I can do well in this tournament.

You lost the first game in the final clash but you managed to bounce back and clinch gold. What was mindset after you lost the opening game and what helped you make a comeback?

First game was really close and that gave me a lot of confidence to play the second and third game in the final match. I was controlling the pace in the second and third game and my opponent (Ng Tze Yong of Malaysia) was not able to maintain the same pace. However, losing the first game of the match can affect your performance in the remaining two games, but I tried to just keep it going and focus on the things that worked for me in the opening set and play more consistently.

In the second game of the final clash, you just pressed the accelerator after a certain point and won around 8-9 points in a row? How did you do that? Was that the turning point for you?

After the break in the second game of the final, I took quick 4-5 points which helped to get a good lead and then my opponent was trying to conserve his energy. He didn’t believe that he could win the second game. Also, he had the luxury to let go the second game and try to win the third.

However, I was always trying to take big lead and put some pressure on my opponent which ultimately helped in winning the match.

What did your coach tell you after you lost the opening game in the final?

He said, “You’re doing the things right and it’s just a matter of 1-2 points and couple of decisions, which didn’t go in our favour. But, have belief in yourself and play disciplined badminton and don’t don’t give easy points.”

With the gold medal, you have become fourth Indian shuttler to win a CWG gold medal in men's singles category after Prakash Padukone, Syed Modi, and Parupalli Kashyap. How do you feel about it?

I think it’s a good tournament to win. Three men from India have won it before me and I am happy to win this time for the nation.

When and why did you decide to become a professional badminton player?

From my family as my grandfather was a badminton player and my father is a coach. So, that’s how I got introduced to the sport and once I started doing well at junior tournaments, I decided to become a professional shuttler.

Given that you are so young, do your parents tell you to focus on studies as well or are they fine with you just playing badminton.

They have never pushed me to study hard and they just want me to pass my exams. Even though my mom was a teacher, she never pushed me to get good marks or study hard. My parents always give first preference to my badminton training.

Who’s your idol as a badminton player?

Prakash Padukone has been my idol since the time I started training under him and got to know him better as a person. Just listening to his experiences and how he managed things back in his playing days inspired me.

In such young age, you have already achieved a lot and have brought many laurels to India. So, what’s your ultimate aim?

My aim is to continue playing badminton at top stage and try to win as many medals as possible for India.