Lakshya Sen's Journey To Becoming Badminton World Champion | Raj Shamani Clips
Lakshmi Sen discusses his journey from fearing international opponents to developing an unshakeable self-belief as a badminton player. He explains how early international exposure, particularly a training camp in Indonesia at age 12, helped eliminate the psychological fear of foreign players. His breakthrough belief came in 2022 when he reached the All England Finals and won the Thomas Cup.
Summary
In this clip, Lakshya Sen reflects on the psychological evolution he underwent as a young badminton player, particularly around fear and self-belief when competing against international opponents. He explains that in his early years at the academy, rather than feeling superior to others, he was inspired by top players and focused on being the best within his current age category, trusting that consistent hard work would eventually elevate him.
A major theme is the fear young Indian athletes felt toward international players — especially from countries like China and Indonesia — believing they were faster, stronger, and better equipped. Sen's father, who also served as his coach, and coach Prakash Sir consistently told the players that foreign opponents were nothing special and could be beaten. A pivotal experience was a month-long training camp in Indonesia at age 12, where Sen traveled with his father and brother. His father instructed him to adopt an open mind, match the training hours of Indonesian players, and simply learn. This experience began dismantling the irrational fear of foreign competition.
Sen further explains that the fear didn't vanish overnight — it eroded gradually over years of international competition. Winning matches against Chinese and Indonesian players in the Under-15 category was a turning point. He began to see opponents as equals: same court, same racket, same shuttlecock, all humans. He also acknowledges that India's improved badminton results over the last 10-15 years have helped build collective belief among Indian athletes.
When asked about arrogance — a quality the interviewer argues is essential for elite athletes like Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Rafael Nadal, Virat Kohli, and Novak Djokovic — Sen agrees that a strong self-belief is necessary. He describes it not as arrogance but as an unwavering conviction that you can beat anyone on a given day, while still respecting opponents. He says this level of belief solidified for him in 2022 when he reached the All England Finals and helped India win the Thomas Cup, after which he felt he truly belonged at the top level and could enter any major tournament as a title contender.
Key Insights
- Sen describes how young Indian athletes had an irrational fear of international players, assuming they were faster, stronger, and better equipped — simply because they were foreign — rather than based on any specific observable skill gap.
- Sen's father took him to a month-long training camp in Indonesia at age 12 and instructed him to match the local players' training hours and adopt an open mindset, specifically to dismantle the psychological fear of foreign competition.
- Sen argues that the fear of international opponents dissolved gradually over years — not in a single moment — and was reinforced each time he and his teammates started winning against Chinese and Indonesian players in the Under-15 category.
- Sen credits both his father and coach Prakash Sir for consistently telling Indian athletes that foreign opponents are not special and can be beaten, framing this mentorship as foundational to building competitive self-belief.
- Sen identifies 2022 — when he reached the All England Finals and India won the Thomas Cup — as the specific turning point when he felt he truly belonged at the elite level and could enter any major tournament as a genuine title contender.
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