India's rising badminton star Lakshya Sen recently had a chance to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed some of the motivational methods employed by his coach Prakash Padukone during the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024.
While congratulating Sen on his fine performance at the quadrennial event where he narrowly missed out on a podium finish, PM Modi playfully enquired about Sen's new celebrity status in the country. In response, Sen shared how his mentor Padukone had seized his mobile phone to ensure full focus on the tournaments.
“Matches ke time phone Prakash sir ne liya tha aur bola ki matches ke baad hi milega” replied Sen with a smile, conveying that his coach had confiscated the device till all his matches were over, leaving no scope for distractions.
PM Modi reacted amusingly to the anecdote, joking that Padukone's strict approach seemed effective and he might send the legend again for future events.
Despite falling short in the bronze medal playoff, Sen viewed the outing as a valuable learning experience. He acknowledged the heartbreak of losing out narrowly but pledged to apply the lessons towards greater success going forward.
Padukone had earlier urged players to self-reflect on supplementing talent with quantities of grit and dedication required to ascend Olympic podiums. With badminton once again disappearing from India's Paris medals tally, the message reinforces the scope for further improvement.
