India's Lakshya Sen Narrowly Misses Olympic Bronze in Thrilling Match

India's Lakshya Sen fell short of winning a bronze medal in men's singles at the Paris Olympics after a tense match against Malaysia's Zii Jia Lee. Despite a strong start, Sen lost in three sets, concluding his campaign in fourth place and coming close to making history.

India's shuttler Lakshya Sen's remarkable Olympic campaign concluded with a narrow miss after he fell short of securing a bronze medal in the men's singles event at the ongoing Paris Olympics. Sen, along with many other Indian athletes, stood on the cusp of making history at these Games, aiming to become the first Indian ever to win a men's singles Olympic medal in badminton.

However, his hopes were dashed following a fierce 21-13, 16-21, 11-21 loss against Malaysia's Zii Jia Lee, leaving him in fourth place. The intense rally that marked the beginning of the bronze medal match saw Lee initially errored, allowing Sen to clinch the first set. A nervy start from Lee gave Sen an early lead, but Lee eventually reduced the deficit with his powerful smashes.

Sen showcased strong defensive skills and versatility in his shots, ultimately taking the first set 21-13. The Malaysian shuttler came back strong in the second set, balancing the game with a 16-21 win and shifting momentum. In the deciding set, Lee dominated with relentless smashes, rushing to an early lead. Despite Sen's resilience, he couldn't close the gap and lost the third set 11-21.

(With inputs from agencies.)