On 8 March, the night India kept its date with back-to-back T20 World Cup trophies, an elite Indian sportsperson lost out on an opportunity to make it a Super Sunday for Indian sport. Lakshya Sen’s second foray into the All England Badminton final in Birmingham ended in heartbreak (after 2022) as he went down 15-21, 20-22 to Chinese Taipei’s Lin-Chun Yi, but this feat deserves a bigger round of applause.

At 24, the Almora boy has now become only the second Indian to make the final of the prestigious event after Prakash Padukone, who became a winner in 1980 and finished runner-up the following year. There is a heartwarming video clip circulating on social media which shows almost 100-odd young trainees, to whom Lakshya is an idol, extending him a hearty welcome — something which should........

© National Herald