Lakshya Sen's dream of securing an Olympic medal in his debut appearance was dashed as he lost in a three-game thriller to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia during the bronze medal playoff on Monday.
Despite winning the first game and holding an 8-3 lead in the second, the 22-year-old from Almora could not maintain his momentum, ultimately succumbing to world number 7 Lee, who rallied to a 13-21, 21-16, 21-11 victory.
Reflecting on his performance, a disappointed Sen said, "I had my chances in the second set and could have definitely done better. But credit to him, he played a really good game. I think at the moment I'm just not able to think right now."
Sen added, "I came well prepared for this match as well. It has been quite a tough week overall. But yeah, the fatigue kept on building. But I mean, I was ready to give my 100 percent in this match."
With Sen's loss, India will be returning from the Olympics without a badminton medal for the first time in 12 years. However, the young shuttler achieved a significant milestone in his maiden Olympic outing, becoming the first Indian male badminton player to reach the semifinals.
Sen previously won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships and a gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.