Lakshya Sen Awaits Medical Clearance for Thailand Open After Elbow Injury

The Paris Olympic bronze medallist faces a race against time to be fit for the upcoming Thailand Open, scheduled for May 12-17, after sustaining an elbow injury during the prestigious team championships.

The young shuttler, who played a pivotal role in India clinching a historic bronze medal, revealed on Tuesday that his participation in next week's tournament hinges on the results of recent medical scans.

"I just came back last night, and I did some scans in the morning as well. I'll now go to the doctor and then have a word with him and then decide on how to go about the tournament," Lakshya Sen replied to IANS' query during a press conference facilitated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

The injury was sustained during his hard-fought Thomas Cup quarterfinal match. Despite the physical setback, Lakshya continued to compete, contributing to the team's podium finish. However, the World No. 9 is now taking a cautious approach to his immediate playing schedule. "I'm supposed to play the Thailand Open next week, but again, I'm still waiting for the confirmation from the doctor, as I've taken the MRI scans now. So just waiting for his opinion on that, and then we'll get a clearer idea of the tournament," he added.

Providing a detailed account of the injury, he revealed that high adrenaline levels during the match initially masked the severity of the damage. "The injury happened in the first set of the match against Chou Tien-chen. I couldn't realise it at that time. It hurt for the next 2-3 points when I dived. But after that, I completely forgot, and the adrenaline was so high that I couldn't focus on that," he said.

The World No. 9 added that while his coach noticed his elbow during the match, he chose not to intervene to keep his focus intact. "Immediately after the match, when I went back, I saw my elbow was swollen. The coach told me that he saw the elbow in the match, but he didn't tell me that it's looking pretty bad because I was not complaining about it then," he added.

Lakshya described a deteriorating situation involving swelling and redness, which prompted immediate consultations with the medical team. "Once I came back, and when the body cooled down a bit, it started hurting a little bit. There was some redness around the swelling as well. It didn't look very good to me and also the physios," he said.

Following a consultation, doctors warned Lakshya that playing further could lead to long-term damage. "They said it is looking quite bad, and I don't think you will be able to play your 100 per cent. Maybe if you still want to play, you will be around 60-70 per cent. But there are chances that it can get worse because we don't know what has happened inside right now, because the swelling is too much," Lakshya added.

Lakshya's absence in the semifinal proved a significant blow to India's chances as the 2022 champions returned home with a bronze medal. While Lakshya expressed his desire to continue competing for the national side, he eventually sat out subsequent matches following a collective decision with the medical staff.

"With the physios and the doctor, it was a collective decision. I tried until the very end to try and play the match, but it was not possible," he concluded.

- IANS