3 July 2024 Punjab Khabarnama : After the Indian Open in January, where he experienced another first-round exit, Lakshya Sen had a conversation with his mentor Prakash Padukone, a former All England champion. Lakshya was trying to overcome his poor form since the end of 2023, and his chances of qualifying for the Olympics in Paris seemed uncertain. Padukone asked him if he was merely aiming for a spot in the Olympics or if he had a realistic chance of winning a medal.
Lakshya replied, ‘I desire to win a medal.’ Prakash sir advised, ‘In that case, you must demonstrate your ability to win a tournament. There is no need to compete in every event and aim for the quarterfinals.’ Despite not winning a tournament in Europe, I had two successful weeks with victories that boosted my confidence. Once my qualification was confirmed, I understood the need to intensify my training.’
That is when he decided to contact someone he knew. Lakshya will participate in the Olympics for the first time in Paris, and in the final phase before the Games, he has brought back Yoo Yong Sung, the Korean coach who previously collaborated with him in 2022.
Yoo has won silver medals in men’s doubles at the Olympics twice. This is why Lakshya and his team decided to incorporate doubles intensity into his singles training routines.
While Vimal was explaining why Yoo returned, Lakshya was undergoing multi-feed training with Yoo. In badminton training, there is a single shuttle training where regular rallying would occur in a match. However, in multi-feed training, a coach on the other side of the net has a stack of shuttles that they continuously hit at high speed, not giving the athlete any time to react. It is not a realistic simulation of a match, but practicing at that pace makes match situations appear slower in comparison. Yoo’s speed of multi-feeding is impressive, as he bombards Lakshya with shuttles from a desk in the mid-court and then from close range.
During Vimal’s explanation of Yoo’s return, Lakshya was undergoing multi-feed training with Yoo. In badminton training, there is a single shuttle training where regular rallying would occur in a match. However, in multi-feed training, a coach on the other side of the net continuously hits a stack of shuttles at high speed, not allowing the athlete any time to react. It is not a realistic simulation of a match, but practicing at that pace helps the athlete perceive match situations as slower. Yoo’s impressive speed in multi-feeding is evident as he bombards Lakshya with shuttles from the mid-court desk and then from close range.
After the European leg, Lakshya assessed his game and reached out to Yoo to see if he was interested in joining him for a short period. Despite a slight delay, Yoo joined the team after the Indonesia Open. Lakshya mentioned that everyone was in agreement and OGQ made it happen quickly. They were all committed to giving their all.
After the Covid cancellations, Lakshya developed a close relationship with the Popovs when badminton resumed. They participated in consecutive tournaments in Bali and stayed in resorts. Discussions about collaboration have been ongoing since then. It was decided that training in France before Paris would be advantageous for everyone. Coach Vimal mentioned that the Indian players will alternate sparring with Toma Junior (who qualified in singles), while Christov (who will compete in doubles) will do the same for Lakshya.