Lakshya Sen is set to face defending champion Viktor Axelsen in the men's singles badminton semifinal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. On August 2, Friday, he made history by becoming the first Indian male shuttler to reach the semi-finals at the 2024 Olympics.
Lakshya, who has been performing exceptionally well in Paris, achieved a comeback victory over Taiwan's 12th seed Chou Tien Chen, bringing him closer to securing a medal for India in badminton. At 22 years old, he remains India's sole hope in the sport, as other prominent players like Satwik-Chirag and PV Sindhu have been eliminated from the competition. Here's everything you need to know about the match.
Aiming for a Medal
Lakshya has said that the real challenge begins now, with Axelsen being the major obstacle between the 22-year-old and a potential gold medal. The Danish star has not lost a game at the Olympics so far, with his only major challenge coming from Loh Kean Yew.
The head-to-head statistics heavily favor Axelsen, as he has dominated Lakshya in their encounters. Out of the eight singles matches between them, Axelsen has won seven times. Lakshya's only victory against the current World No. 2 was back in 2022 during the German Open semi-final, where he won 21-13, 12-21, 22-20.
In their most recent match, Lakshya challenged Axelsen but ultimately lost in the round of 32 at the 2024 Singapore Open, with Axelsen winning 21-13, 16-21, 21-13.
When and Where
The Lakshya Sen vs. Viktor Axelsen Paris 2024 Olympics men's singles badminton semifinal will take place on Sunday, August 4, at the La Chapelle Arena. The match will begin at 12pm (local time), 6:30am ET, 11am BST and at 3:30pm IST.
How to Watch/ Livestream
United States: The Lakshya Sen vs. Viktor Axelsen Paris 2024 Olympics men's singles badminton semifinal will be broadcast on Peacock, NBC Sports, Universo while live streaming will be available on Fubo.
United Kingdom: The Lakshya Sen vs. Viktor Axelsen Paris 2024 Olympics men's singles badminton semifinal will be broadcast on Discovery+, EuroSport Player UK. The Lakshya Sen vs. Viktor Axelsen Paris 2024 Olympics men's singles badminton semifinal will be available for livestreaming on discovery+ App, EuroSport 2 UK
India: The Lakshya Sen vs. Viktor Axelsen Paris 2024 Olympics men's singles badminton semifinal will be broadcast on Sports 18 Network, and available for livestreaming on JioCinema app and website for free.
