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Deemed by many as the next big thing in Indian badminton, Lakshya Sen has revealed that the legendary Prakash Padukone is a big source of inspiration for him.
He also picked one of India's most successful women's badminton players, PV Sindhu, as his favourite sportswoman while he named World No.1 Kento Momota as his favourite badminton player.
In an exclusive chat with Shanivi Sadana on Sportskeeda's Facebook page, Lakshya Sen explained how his coach Prakash Padukone is a role model to him. The 19-year-old stated that he admires how the former World No.1 player carries himself on and off the badminton court.
PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal's Olympic medals make them better than other Indian shuttlers: Lakshya Sen
Lakshya Sen made a name for himself with his brilliant performance at the 2018 Youth Olympics. The Uttarakhand-based player won the silver medal at the global event and later won the bronze medal along with the Indian men's team in the 2020 Asia Team Championships.
When asked about his biggest inspiration, he replied:
"Prakash Padukone sir inspires me the most. Since the day I joined the academy, he has had a massive influence on my life. I try to implement the way he played, and he lived off the court."
When asked about his favourite sportsman and sportswoman, Lakshya Sen instantly selected Neymar Jr. and PV Sindhu respectively. He also gave his thoughts on whether India's female shuttlers had outshone the men:
"I admire PV Sindhu a lot in badminton. Winning an Olympic medal, I think, is a bigger achievement if you compare women and men, so Sindhu Didi (PV Sindhu) and Saina Didi (Saina Nehwal) have won a lot more medals than other people. So, yeah, they are better."
Lakshya Sen won a gold medal and a silver medal in the Youth Olympics. It will be interesting to see if he can replicate that feat at the senior level in the future.
