In a thrilling showcase of skill and determination, India's <keyword id="20123154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lakshya-Sen" source="keywords">Lakshya Sen</keyword> has made headlines at the <keyword id="20006192" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Olympics" source="keywords">Paris Olympics</keyword> by advancing to the pre-quarterfinals of the men’s singles <keyword id="20012442" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="badminton" source="keywords">badminton</keyword> competition on Wednesday. The 22-year-old from Almora delivered a sensational performance, defeating Indonesia's world number 3 <keyword id="20132267" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jonatan-Christie" source="keywords">Jonatan Christie</keyword> in straight games. Sen, who clinched a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships, displayed a blend of tactical brilliance and composure to overcome Christie, the reigning All England and Asian champion. This impressive victory came after a gruelling 50-minute match that saw Sen turn the tide in his favour, particularly with a remarkable behind-the-back shot at 20-18 in the first game. The encounter ended with scores of 21-18, 21-12. The win was a significant boost for Sen, marking only his second victory over Christie in their six clashes. The pair’s previous meetings had seen Sen fall short, but he turned the tables in this crucial clash, demonstrating his growth and resilience on the court. Sen’s journey to the pre-quarterfinals included a solid start in Group L, where he initially faced Kevin Cordon, a Tokyo Olympics semifinalist. However, Cordon had to withdraw due to an elbow injury, leading to the match being nullified. Sen’s subsequent victory over Belgium’s Julien Carraggi further solidified his path to the knockout stages. Looking ahead, Sen is poised to face compatriot HS Prannoy in the pre-quarterfinals, with Prannoy set to play Vietnam's Le Duc Phat later in the day. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112102370" title="Who is Manu Bhaker, the first Indian woman to win a Bronze Medal in Shooting at the Olympics?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>In a parallel development, <keyword id="20114899" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PV-Sindhu" source="keywords">PV Sindhu</keyword> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/paris-olympics-pv-sindhu-advances-to-round-of-16-after-beating-estonias-kristin-kuuba/articleshow/112163148.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">continued India’s strong performance</a> in badminton, securing her place in the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals. Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, breezed through her match against Estonia’s Kristin Kuuba, winning 21-5, 21-10 in just 33 minutes. As the Olympic badminton tournaments progress, both Sen and Sindhu’s performances are setting the stage for a potentially historic badminton run for India in Paris. (With inputs from PTI)

India's Lakshya Sen stuns world number 3 to secure pre-quarterfinal spot in men's badminton at Paris Olympics

In a display of determination and grit, <keyword id="20425572" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Balraj-Panwar" source="keywords">Balraj Panwar</keyword>, <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s sole representative in rowing at the <keyword id="20201477" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Paris-2024-Olympics" source="keywords">Paris 2024 Olympics</keyword>, secured his place in Final D of the <keyword id="22617528" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mens-singles-sculls" source="keywords">men's singles sculls</keyword> event. Competing in the semi-final C/D on Wednesday, Panwar clocked a time of 7:04.97, finishing sixth. Panwar, a 25-year-old member of the Indian army has been a stand out <keyword id="20102132" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="athlete" source="keywords">athlete</keyword>, carrying the hopes of his nation on his shoulders. Despite the challenging conditions and stiff competition, Panwar's performance in the semi-final C/D reflects his relentless effort and commitment to his sport. The Final D schedule for Friday, August 2, at 1:48 PM IST, is a classification race that determines rankings from 19th to 24th place, where no medals will be awarded. Panwar finished sixth in the men's singles sculls semi-final C/D with a time of 7:04.97. His journey to the Paris Olympics has been one of perseverance and dedication. Training rigorously to compete at the highest level, his participation alone marks a significant achievement. His determination and hard work exemplify the spirit of an athlete who strives for excellence, regardless of the outcome. In <keyword id="20012442" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="badminton" source="keywords">badminton</keyword>, ace India shuttler <keyword id="20123154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lakshya-Sen" source="keywords">Lakshya Sen</keyword> defeated Indonesia's Jonatan Christie 21-18, 21-12 in the badminton men's singles Group L match and secured a place in the pre-quarters at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Wednesday. Lakshya clinched a win over Christie in 50 minutes at the La Chapelle Arena on Wednesday. The Indian shuttler dominated the Indonesian and won the first game 8-2. Lakshya capitalised in the second to close out the match against Jonatan Christie. Sen also topped the men's singles Group L and could face HS Prannoy in the upcoming Round of 16 match. The pre-quarterfinals will start on Thursday. In shooting, Indian shooter <keyword id="20166561" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="swapnil-kusale" source="keywords">Swapnil Kusale</keyword> finished seventh in the qualification round of men's 50m 3P to qualify for the final at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Wednesday. Indian shooters Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Swapnil Kusale both appeared in the men's 50m 3P qualification round at the Paris 2024 Olympics. On his Olympic debut, Kusale finished seventh with a score of 590-38x. While, Tomar ranked 11th with a total of 589-33x. Only the top eight shooters have qualified for the final round, and Tomar failed to make his place in the final round.

Balraj Panwar advances to Final D at Paris 2024 Olympics

Paris [France], August 1 (ANI): India's <keyword id="3992621" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="badminton-legend" source="Orion">badminton legend</keyword>, <keyword id="20626607" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Prakash-Padukone" source="keywords">Prakash Padukone</keyword>, believes the star duo <keyword id="3808496" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Satwiksairaj-Rankireddy" source="Orion">Satwiksairaj Rankireddy</keyword> and <keyword id="749483" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chirag-Shetty" source="Orion">Chirag Shetty</keyword> have a chance of returning with an Olympic gold. The world number three ranked duo punched their ticket for the quarter-finals of <keyword id="450124" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="badminton-doubles" source="Orion">badminton doubles</keyword> with a straight-game win over Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto. Satwik and Chirag have roared and soared high in the world of <keyword id="20012442" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="badminton" source="keywords">badminton</keyword> as a pair. They have toppled numerous records and lifted various titles before landing in Paris. They looked flawless in their technique and style throughout the group stage. In their quest for a medal in the men's doubles event, Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik stand in their way. Ahead of the highly anticipated fixture, Prakash backed the duo to go all the way to the final on the back of their impressive outings. "As they are playing, there is a chance. There are definitely chances of winning the medal. But you can't say it with surety. They have come to the quarter-finals. The way they are playing, they have good chances of winning," Prakash told ANI. In the men's singles event, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy are set to square off against each other. In a clash of young, brimming talent against experienced shuttlers, both India stars will compete for a spot in the quarter-finals. Lakshya ousted world number three shuttler, Jonatan Christie. While Prannoy overcame a challenge from Vietnam's Le Duc Phat to top his group. As the two Indian stars prepare to fight for a spot in the next round, Prakash believes that the best player will go ahead in the event and said, "He (Lakshya) is playing so well. It was a good match with Christie. It was a crucial match. He won in the straight game. He is playing well. He will play against Prannoy tomorrow. Both Indians have a match in the pre-quarter-finals. There is a knockout from now on. We will have to wait and see. The best player will go ahead." Another shuttler who has eyes on a medal is two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu. Prakash, who is serving as the mentor of Sindhu, believes the real competition for her will begin against China's He Bingjiao in the Round of 16. "The group stage was easy. There were no tough matches. But there will be a knockout in the pre-quarter-final against a Chinese player, He Bingjiao. The real competition will start tomorrow," he added.

India badminton legend Prakash Padukone believes Satwik-Chirag have a chance to win gold at the Paris Olympics

India's <keyword id="769084" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lakshya-Sen" source="Orion">Lakshya Sen</keyword> will need to play out of his skin to keep his maiden <keyword id="20342188" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-medal" source="keywords">gold medal</keyword> hopes alive, when he takes on the reigning <keyword id="19986816" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympic" source="keywords">Olympic</keyword> champion <keyword id="681934" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viktor-Axelsen" source="Orion">Viktor Axelsen</keyword> in the men's singles semifinals at the Paris Games here on Sunday. Making his Olympics debut, Sen created history on Friday after becoming the first Indian individual male shuttler to reach the last four of the showpiece with a 19-21 21-15 21-12 win over Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen in an intense quarterfinal match. The Indian will have yet another uphill task at hand, when he takes on <keyword id="22651015" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Axelsen" source="keywords">Axelsen</keyword>, the baby-faced <keyword id="20012442" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="badminton" source="keywords">badminton</keyword> giant, who has terrorised his opponents in the last few years. The 30-year-old from Odense, Denmark, has won the Tokyo gold and Rio bronze, two world championship titles in 2017 and 2022, a <keyword id="99398" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thomas-Cup" source="Orion">Thomas Cup</keyword> triumph in 2016 and multiple BWF world tour and Superseries titles to experience a dominating run as world No. 1 from December 2021 to June 2024. Sen, a 2021 World championships bronze medallist, has lost seven times to the super Dane, who faced defeat just once against the Indian at the 2022 German Open. The 22-year-old, however, has shown little to no respect for the past records against his higher-ranked opponents so far, as he plotted the downfall of world number 4 Jonatan Christie in the group stage and Chou, ranked 11, in the quarters. Axelsen has looked a tad subdued this season with just one title at the Malaysia Masters. The Dane also suffered an ankle injury in early June during the Singapore Open and was forced to withdraw from the Indonesia Open. Sen, on the other hand, hasn't looked fitter in his career. He has been rock solid in his defence as he covered the court well and played at a high pace. His ability to produce winners at will has held him in good stead. The 1.94m-tall Dane has an all-rounded game and is known to rain down brutal smashes from a great height. Axelsen, who received a bye in the pre-quarterfinals, had just one real challenge in the quarterfinals, but he got past former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore without much ado. In their eight meetings, only two matches have gone to three games, including the contest in Muelheim an der Ruhr. After seeing off the speedy and consistent Chou in a gruelling three-gamer on Friday, Sen will be now backing himself to prevail, if it goes the distance against the Dane. Axelsen had robbed him of All England glory two years back, when he beat him in the final. Then there were those twin losses in the 2021 BWF World Tour Finals and Sen will be itching to return the favour at the world's biggest stage. A semifinalist gets two chances to return with a medal. A win will keep Sen on course for Indian badminton's maiden Olympic gold, while a loss will give him a shot at the bronze medal in the play-offs. "There's lot more work to do. Now, the real test starts," Sen had said after his quarterfinals. For Sen, who wears "Sky is the limit" tattoo on his neck, only the gold can quench his hunger.

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India's Lakshya Sen stuns world number 3 to secure pre-quarterfinal spot in men's badminton at Paris Olympics

BI India Bureau

Balraj Panwar advances to Final D at Paris 2024 Olympics

ANI

India badminton legend Prakash Padukone believes Satwik-Chirag have a chance to win gold at the Paris Olympics

ANI

Lakshya aims to dial-up 'Sen-mode' against Super Dane Axelsen in Olympic semis

PTI