Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen has risen to the 15th position in the Race to Paris rankings. This significant leap has kept his hopes alive for the upcoming Paris Olympics in 2024.

Can Lakshya Sen hold his rank?

Born in Almora, Uttarakhand, Lakshya Sen has been a promising talent in the world of badminton. He reached a career-best ranking of world number six in November 2022. However, a series of early exits and a slump in his career saw his ranking plummet to world No. 25 in April the following year.

Despite these setbacks, Lakshya Sen’s determination remained unshaken. His semi-final finish at the French Open Super 750 event in Paris marked a turning point in his career. This performance helped him climb from the 18th rank to the 15th position in the BWF rankings. As a result, he entered the top 16 of the BWF’s Race to Paris – Olympic qualification rankings.

The top 16 players in the world by the end of April will qualify for the Olympics. With his current ranking, Lakshya Sen has become the second Indian player to make the cut in the top 16 of the Olympic qualification rankings. His chances of making it to the Paris 2024 Olympics have thus significantly strengthened.

Lakshya Sen’s journey has not been without its share of challenges. After winning the Canada Open, he underwent nose surgery. This medical setback led to a prolonged slump in his career. However, his recent performance at the French Open has rekindled his Olympic dreams.

In women’s singles, PV Sindhu is currently ranked 11, while in men’s doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are placed in the second spot. They have more or less sealed their spots in the Paris Games.

In women’s doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa remain India’s best-placed pair at 11th spot. In doubles, a country can send a maximum of one pair to the Olympics, given their players are ranked in the top 8 of the qualification rankings.

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