Lakshya Sen Stuns World No.1 at All England

The prestigious All England Open Badminton Championships began in Birmingham yesterday, with several exciting matches in the opening round.

In the men’s singles category, India’s Lakshya Sen pulled off a big win by defeating world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi of China. The match was closely contested, with Sen winning 23-21, losing the second game 19-21, and then sealing the victory 21-17 in the deciding game. With this impressive performance, Sen has moved into the Round of 16. He will next face Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong, China.

In the women’s singles draw, reigning Olympic champion An Se-young of South Korea made a strong start to her campaign. She defeated Neslihan Arin of Türkiye to move into the next round. An Se-young is aiming to win back-to-back All England titles this year.

India also had success in mixed doubles. The country’s top pair, Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila, advanced to the second round after beating Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin. The Indian duo won in straight games with a score of 21-17, 21-19.

However, there was disappointment for India as two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu will miss the tournament. She had to return home after being stranded at Dubai airport due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

The tournament has started with high excitement, and fans are looking forward to more thrilling matches in the coming days.