Lakshya not worried about ranking slip

Asked about his medal chances at the Worlds, Lakshya replied, “I just want to play to my full potential. If I do that, I will do well.”

Lakshya Sen practises in Bengaluru on Monday.

After the recent high of reaching the top of the world junior badminton ranking list, Lakshya Sen suffered a minor blip. The teenager slipped to the World No.2 spot, behind Thailand’s Kunlavut Viditsarn. Lakshya can regain his numero uno status with a good show at the BWF World Junior Championships, to be held at Yogyakarta (Indonesia) next month.

The 16-year-old, who trains at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) here, is not too worried about the ranking slip. “I don't think about the rankings much. If I win a few major tournaments, it will take care of the ranking," Lakshya said here on Monday.

Asked about his medal chances at the Worlds, Lakshya replied, “I just want to play to my full potential. If I do that, I will do well.”

Former national women’s singles champion Sayali Gokhale, who coaches Lakshya at PPBA, stated that the youngster possesses an even temperament which comes to the fore in pressure situations. “His chances are bright. His training has progressed well, and we want him to peak at the right time for the Worlds,” Sayali said.