Asian Junior title winner Lakshya Sen has Prakash Padukone to guide him

Indian badminton's latest sensation Lakshya, who won the Asian Junior title yesterday, is being guided on a day-to-day basis by legendary Prakash Padukone

India's badminton legend Prakash Padukone is a man of few words but those around him vouch for his vision. So, when he took a 10-year-old Lakshya Sen under his wings at his academy in Bangalore six years ago, few doubted his prediction of the kid from the hilly region of Almora in Uttarakhand touching global highs in badminton.

Right enough, the shy little boy achieved a giant feat yesterday when he became the first Indian male shuttler in 53 years to win the Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, beating reigning world junior champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-19, 21-18 in the summit clash.

OGQ CEO Viren Rasquinha posted this picture on Twitter of a 10-year-old Lakshya after winning an U-11 event at Singapore in 2011

The Prakash Padukone Academy imparts training to 42 elite shuttlers including Lakshya, but no one gets the kind of attention that this young champ receives from former All-England champion Padukone.

Viren Rasquinha, CEO of Olympic Gold Quest, a non-profit body that supports Indian sportspersons, including Lakshya, explained: "Prakash sir takes personal interest in Lakshya's training and development at the academy in Bangalore. He sees huge potential in the boy and is always seen discussing things with the coaches, trainers and physios associated with Lakshya. In fact, Prakash sir has a dedicated personal diary in which he chalks out Lakshya's day-to-day schedule, and the team has to follow it to the tee," Rasquinha told mid-day yesterday.

Prakash Padukone

The planning is meticulous, keeping in mind that the boy is Olympic champion material. "Lakshya is a growing boy so, at this stage, training is the key. The plan is to train more and play less. Players generally tend to play more tournaments to better their rankings, but in Lakshya's case, it is different. Prakash sir believes that he must train more, and play less tournaments, but whatever tournaments he plays, he has to excel in them. OGQ has supported his assessment wholeheartedly and the results are there for all to see," said Rasquinha.

Besides Lakshya's fluent strokeplay, Padukone loves his calm temperament. In fact, according to Rasquinha, the Indian legend feels Lakshya reminds him of himself. "I spoke to Prakash sir this evening and we discussed Lakshya. While he is mighty pleased with Lakshya's win, he believes this is just the beginning. Lakshya is fortunate. Not only does he have a personal trainer and physio alongwith access to world-class facilities at the PPBA, he also has a world-class player to ensure he successfully shuttles to the top of world badminton," Rasquinha signed off.

Rs 10 lakh reward
New Delhi: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for Lakshya Sen. An elated BAI president Himanta Biswa Sarma lauded Lakshya's historic feat and said: "Lakshya has done the country proud. We have been investing in youngsters and we are happy seeing the dividends."

Also Read: Prakash Padukone puts onus on BAI to make India a badminton superpower

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