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Abhinav Bindra and PV Sindhu praised Lakshya Sen for finishing runner-up at the All England Open, losing to Lin Chun-Yi.
Lakshya Sen (Badminton Photo)
Olympic medallists Abhinav Bindra and PV Sindhu led the tributes for Lakshya Sen after the Indian shuttler finished runner-up at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham on Sunday.
Lakshya battled hard but narrowly missed out on ending India’s 25-year wait for the prestigious title, losing 15-21, 20-22 to Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi in a gripping men’s singles final.
Despite the defeat, the 23-year-old’s performance throughout the tournament drew widespread praise from India’s sporting icons.
Bindra highlighted Lakshya’s determination and resilience in a heartfelt message on social media.
Not every inspiring sporting story ends with a trophy. Over the last few days, Lakshya Sen has shown India what courage, resilience and belief truly look like. His run to another All England final, through extraordinary wins and immense physical pain, has been about far more than…— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) March 8, 2026
“Not every inspiring sporting story ends with a trophy. Over the last few days, Lakshya Sen has shown India what courage, resilience and belief truly look like,” Bindra wrote.
Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu also praised Lakshya while pointing out the physical toll of playing consecutive high-intensity matches.
Lin Chun Yi takes it 21–15, 22–20.Never easy to come back and play a final less than 24 hours after a brutal semifinal. Those matches really stay in the legs.
I remember the 2021 All England Open Badminton Championships. I had a really long quarterfinal against Akane… pic.twitter.com/GdLvgQ6ASr
— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) March 8, 2026
“Lin Chun Yi takes it 21–15, 22–20. Never easy to come back and play a final less than 24 hours after a brutal semifinal. Those matches really stay in the legs,” Sindhu wrote.
Recalling her own experience at the tournament, she added:
“I remember the 2021 All England Open Badminton Championships. I had a really long quarterfinal against Akane Yamaguchi, and the very next day had to step back on court for the semifinal against Pornpawee Chochuwong. Let me tell you, it’s brutal.”
Close to Ending India’s Long Wait
Lakshya’s loss means Prakash Padukone (1980) and Pullela Gopichand (2001) remain the only Indians to win the iconic tournament.
A handful of others have come close over the decades, including Prakash Nath (1947) and Saina Nehwal (2015), who also finished as runners-up. Lakshya has now reached the final twice, underlining his growing stature in world badminton.
(with PTI inputs)
March 08, 2026, 9:39 PM IST
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