Lakshya Sen must be mindful of inner monologue in his mind after five successive defeats

It does not make the best reading when the headlines focus on failure, as India’s top Badminton player Lakshya Sen may be discovering in dismay. His defeat in the Kumamoto Masters has been announced in terms ranging from handed out an ‘early exit’ to being ‘ousted’ to ‘bowing out’ to ‘derailed by mental block.’ After his heartbreak in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games semifinal against Chou Tien-chen (Chinese Taipei) and the bronze medal match against Viktor Axelsen (Denmark), the 23-year-old has lost all three matches on the BWF Tour. In three games each. This string of defeats has perplexed fans and critics alike enough for them to ask: What has gone wrong with Lakshya Sen?

The World No. 17 lost to World No. 8 Chou Tien Chan (Chinese Taipei) in the Arctic Open, World No. 15 Lu Guang Zu (China) in the Denmark Open and to World No. 31 Leong Jun Hao (Malaysia). When he lost to higher ranked players in Vantaa (Finland) and Odense (Denmark), this question did not gain as much currency as it did when he lost in Kumamoto (Japan) on Wednesday.

Though he has lost four straight three-game matches, it is not as if he has always struggled in matches that have gone to the decider. In fact, he held a 6-4 win loss record in extended matches in 2024 before the Olympic Games. Clearly, it is not his strength and stamina that let him down. He will have to find ways to get past blocks in his own mind and enhance his game sense.

It is not as if the first-rounditis, if it can be called that, is a recent phenomenon. Lakshya Sen has faced this last year as well when his coaches identified a lack of confidence as the primary reason for the slide. It is baffling that a player who got within handshaking distance of being the first Indian male badminton player to win an Olympic medal should suffer so many first round defeats.

The most critical part of finding a solution is the acceptance that something is possibly going wrong and needs rewiring. Without the experience of sustained mind training – and it is a fact that the mind can be trained just as the body can be – a vast majority of high performance athletes in India appear shy of acknowledging, let alone accepting this possibility.

One can never say with a touch of certainty that he has not moved from his losses in the Olympic Games when within sniffing distance of a medal. Or from the criticism that he coped in their aftermath. Yet, as high performance athlete, he will know that each day brings along new, different opportunities and it is unlikely that those defeats are impacting his play three months later.

Of course, his own disappointment and that of people around him stemmed from unmet expectations. But instead of wondering how he will stitch together his next victory, it would be helpful if he consciously thinks of the joy of playing sport and the gifts at his disposable. Easier said than done? Perhaps that would be answered in the affirmative if he is left to his own devices.

Therefore, it would be apt for the powers-that-be in Indian Badminton to reach out to Lakshya Sen and engage him in conversation that will nudge him to consider looking out for a mind trainer to work with so that he can nip this emerging ‘habit’ before it is too late. For, there are times when his coaching staff  seems unable to find the buttons that can crank up a winning mindset.

It is imperative that the system around him helps him raise the bar as far as court craft is concerned. He must feel confident to employ tactics that work best for him rather than try too many things during a contest. The temptation would be for a player to alter strategy and use Plan B, so to say, but sometimes it may help to surprise opponents by continuing to play to one’s strengths.

Then again, Lakshya Sen must be mindful of not only the chatter around him but also the inner monologue that his mind would possibly be hearing, if not listening to. It is in this area that an experienced mind trainer will be of value to the young athlete as he seeks to find a slingshot result that can veer him away from the series of three-game losses. 

Five defeats in-a-row can be rather painful. And, pain is indeed a powerful teacher, and Lakshya Sen has been handed out some tough lessons in the past few months. He now has the opportunity to learn and become a better player. The answer to most of his questions lie within him and he can do with some external support to discover the magic in him all over again.