Indian badminton sensation Lakshya Sen has unofficially secured his spot for the Paris Olympics through a ranking quota, becoming the second Indian men’s singles player to qualify after HS Prannoy.
With Lakshya’s qualification, India will have two representatives in the men’s singles category at the same Olympics for the first time in 20 years. Previously, in the 2004 Athens Olympics, Abhinn Shyam Gupta and Nikhil Kanetkar had qualified in the men’s singles.
Despite being out of form and ranked outside the top 16 in the Race to Paris Rankings earlier this year, Lakshya showcased remarkable performance in the past month. He reached the semifinals in two consecutive tournaments: the French Open Super 750 and the All England Super 1000 events, propelling him to the 12th position in the Race to Paris rankings.
With a significant lead over players outside the top 16, Lakshya’s position is secure, ensuring his debut at the prestigious quadrennial event.
In addition to Lakshya and Prannoy, who is ranked 9th in the Race to Paris Rankings, PV Sindhu, the two-time Olympics medalist, will represent India in women’s singles.
The world’s number one men’s doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankreddy and Chirag Shetty will spearhead India’s campaign in the men’s doubles category for the second consecutive Olympics. Meanwhile, in women’s doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto face stiff competition for the Paris quota, as several pairs vie for the available spots.
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