'LA28 is waiting': Indians laud Lakshya Sen's Paris Olympics show despite losing bronze medal to Lee Zii Ji

By Sunita Iyer  |  First Published Aug 5, 2024, 7:30 PM IST

In a dramatic finish at the Paris Olympics 2024, Lakshya Sen's quest for a medal came to a heartbreaking end as he fell to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the bronze playoff on Monday.


In a dramatic finish at the Paris Olympics 2024, Lakshya Sen's quest for a medal came to a heartbreaking end as he fell to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the bronze playoff on Monday. The 22-year-old shuttler from Almora, Uttarakhand, who had shown immense promise, lost the match in three games, with scores of 13-21, 21-16, 21-11.

Also read: Paris Olympics 2024: India's Maheshwari-Naruka pair misses bronze by whisker in skeet mixed team event

🇮🇳 Result Update: Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match👇

So close, yet so far💔

Our star Shuttler Lakshya Sen suffers heartbreak in his first-ever medal match at the .

The 22-year-old, who made his debut appearance at , had nothing less than a dream… pic.twitter.com/skEIjHCdNQ

— SAI Media (@Media_SAI)

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Sen's defeat means India will return from the Paris Games without a badminton medal for the first time in 12 years. Despite the setback, the Indian sporting community has rallied around Sen, applauding his remarkable journey and historic achievements. His performance at the Games has been a beacon of hope, as he became the first male Indian shuttler to reach the Olympic semifinals.

The 2021 world championships bronze and 2022 Commonwealth Games gold-winner's spirited display in Paris, though falling short of a medal, has been widely celebrated as a significant achievement for Indian badminton.

As India reflects on this setback, the focus shifts to the future. The upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Olympics are already on the horizon, with hopes high for Sen and other Indian athletes to continue the country's quest for Olympic glory. The spirit of perseverance and excellence displayed by Sen serves as a powerful reminder that the journey is ongoing, and 'LA28 is waiting'.

Also read: Paris Olympics 2024: Manika Batra-led India beat Romania 3-2 to enter quarterfinals of women's TT team event

"Well played, LAKSHYA SEN. To represent Team India at Olympics in Men's badminton singles and to play semi-final deserve huge appreciation. A bright future ahead of Sen. He'll shine at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics," wrote one user on X.

Another added, "Well played Lakshya Sen. Chin up, these days will come and go. Although you did more than anyone's expectations. You're just 22 and it was just your first Olympics. You'll be world no.1 shuttler in the near future and will get that Gold medal in Los Angeles 2028. We're waiting."

"This one, along with Manu Bhaker and the skeet shooting duo, is hard to digest. Lakshya Sen being the hardest of the lot. Sen will be back stronger at the Los Angeles Olympics!" stated a third Indian user.

Here's a look at how Indians reacted to Lakshya Sen's stellar Paris Olympics 2024 show on X:

COME BACK, STRONG - LAKSHYA SEN 👊

Los Angeles Olympics is waiting for, Badminton's future. pic.twitter.com/0PNi6AOrXl

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)

HEARTBREAK FOR LAKSHYA SEN. 💔

- A bright future ahead of Sen. He'll shine at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/n86S961K0k

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra)

HEARTBREAK FOR LAKSHYA SEN. 💔

- A bright future ahead of Sen. He'll shine at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/MtZUJeKURv

— BOND OO7 (@BOND420OO7)

Dream has Shattered For Lakshya Sen and 1.4 Billion People. Lakshya Sen lost in Bronze medal match. A Hard Fought Loss. Don't loose your heart Champ, It's Just a start, Los Angeles Podium is waiting for you. pic.twitter.com/daLiEHLKNB

— Devanshu Maheshwari (@beingdevanshu19)

Lakshya Sen you made all of us proud. Comeback stronger champion!

— Arihant Gadiya (@ARIHANT_G)

Lakshya Sen played so damn well! Kudos

— Allius Caesar 👹 (@KThiranR)

U made us all proud..ur a superstar..all the best wishes to u for all ur future matches..👏🏻👏🏻🇮🇳🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/9qo0irmi92

— Rash (@Rash28101)

Kudos Lakshya Sen, you’ve done us proud! 🇮🇳 better and greater things to come for sure

— Kyle Dsouza (@Kyle_KBD)

💔 Lakshya Sen 💔
Lost the match but well played pic.twitter.com/rOgzxVFwQP

— Manu Bishnoi (@Manubishnoi12)

From defeating Jonatan Christie to to giving Viktor Axelsen a real scare in the semi-final, Lakshya Sen has shown the whole world exactly what he is capable of.
💪 At the age of 22, he has already achieved so much for India. pic.twitter.com/XsH9fOuoNh

— Iɴɴᴏᴄᴇɴᴛ Ꭰᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ (@dr_adrenaline19)

A tough loss, the face of Lakshya Sen tells the whole story...!!!!

- An Olympic medal in LA 2028 is waiting for you. pic.twitter.com/hwOiNaJejL

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)

Well Played lakshya Sen. Chin up, these days will come and go. Although you did more than anyone's expectations. You're just 22 and it was just your first Olympics. You'll be world no.1 shuttler in the near future and will get that Gold medal in Los Angeles 2028. We're waiting ❤️

— 45. (@45Devote)

Lakshya has lost the bronze medal match.

Well played, LAKSHYA SEN. To represent Team India at Olympics in Men's badminton singles and to play semi-final deserve huge appreciation.

A bright future ahead of Sen. He'll shine at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. pic.twitter.com/C0j9EbnLFN

— Aman Deep (@thalampofpeace)
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