Paris Olympics 2024: Another Heartbreak For India As Lee Zii Jia Beats Lakshay Sen To Win Bronze Medal

Earlier, Lakshay Sen faced a disappointing loss against defending Olympics champion Viktor Axelsen in the quarterfinal on Sunday (August 4). Sen was defeated 22-20, 21-24 which led him to compete for the Bronze medal in Paris against Lee Zii Jia. (Paris Olympics 2024: Neeraj Chopra To Men’s Hockey Team; Last Medal Winning Hopes For India – In Pics)

“Lakshya is an amazing player. He has shown in this Olympics that he is a very, very strong competitor and I am sure in four years from now, he will be one of the favourites to win the gold,” Axelsen told ‘Jio Cinema’ after the win on Sunday.

“An amazing talent and a great guy and I wish him all the best. He was playing so well in the big parts of both games, but I managed to relax and play the right game and win the match. But all credit to him as well,” he added. (Paris Olympics 2024: Manika Batra’s Clutch Performance Gets India Women’s Table Tennis Team Into Quarterfinals)

Axelsen, with his wealth of experience in handling pressure, managed to overcome a strong challenge from Sen, who appeared nervous despite playing better for much of their semifinal match. The 22-year-old from Almora lost a three-point lead in the first game and a 7-0 lead in the second during the 54-minute contest.

“I think the experience made a difference today. I think Lakshya, he played better than I did in big parts of the game. So he could have won the match,” said Axelsen, who is one win away from joining Chinese legend Lin Dan as a two-time Olympic gold medallist.