Badminton star Lakshya Sen has shown his mettle against some top players this year, however he has stumbled in the deciding third game a few times. To address this, the ace shuttler is putting himself through grueling training methods to ensure he stays match-fit even in the final stages of a tough clash.
One such intense drill is the ’40-30-20 multi-feed’. In this, a coach will continuously feed 40 shuttles for Sen to return, following which he gets a 10 second break before facing 30 more shuttles. After another short break, 20 more shuttles are dealt with. This cycle is repeated over 10 sets, pushing Sen’s endurance and speed to the limit. According to his long time coach Vimal Kumar, such drills are vital today as all players retrieve quickly and maintain a fast pace throughout. They tweak the drill to mimic match scenarios, testing Sen’s defensive skills as well as ability to crank up pace.
Sen’s commitment to being the fittest on court is evident from achieving a peak VO2 Max level of 62. Top athletes in other sports score in the 70s, showing Sen’s high cardiovascular fitness. Besides the multi-shuttle drill, Sen does 7-8 hours of training daily involving running, gym and skills practice. He also ensures recovering well with techniques like massages and hydrotherapy. With Sen having faltered in close deciders, this optimized training regimen aims to give him the stamina to outlast rivals when the going gets tough in a third and final game decider.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sen has a tricky group with former world no.1 Jonatan Christie and Kevin Cordon. A potential quarterfinal clash against defense machine Kodai Naraoka further increases the prospects of a energy-sapping three-gamer. Sen will hope to call on his renewed endurance and remain undefeated even when others are wilting, staying on course for prestigious Olympic gold.
