NEW DELHI: Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen‘s Olympic dream came to a heart-wrenching end as he narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in the men’s singles event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Despite a valiant effort, Sen finished fourth after a hard-fought 21-13, 16-21, 11-21 loss to Malaysia’s Zii Jia Lee in the bronze medal match on Monday.
Reflecting on his Olympic journey, Sen expressed his gratitude to supporters and acknowledged the heartbreak of falling short.In a heartfelt post on X, he wrote, “Hi everyone! My journey at the Paris 2024 Olympics has been both an honor and a heartbreak. I gave my all, fought with every ounce of strength, but fell just short of the podium. I am very grateful to all the supporters for their unwavering support.”

“I am determined to reflect on what went wrong and where I need to improve. I sincerely request space and privacy at this time to regroup, come back stronger, and win laurels for India,” he further added.
Sen, who was on the verge of becoming the first Indian male shuttler to win an Olympic singles medal, started strong, taking the first set 21-13 with a commanding performance. His defensive prowess and precise smashes kept Jia on the back foot, allowing Sen to control the pace and capitalize on his opponent’s errors.
However, the momentum shifted in the second set. Despite racing to an 8-3 lead, Sen couldn’t maintain his advantage as Jia fought back with a series of aggressive plays, eventually taking the set 21-16. The Malaysian shuttler’s relentless attacks and strategic placement of shots proved challenging for Sen, who struggled to regain his footing.
The deciding set saw Jia dominate from the start, racing to a 9-2 lead. Sen tried to close the gap, reducing the deficit to 6-11 before the mid-game break, but Jia’s relentless smashes and control over the court left Sen unable to recover. The set ended 21-11 in Jia’s favour, denying Sen the bronze medal.