Asian Games: Lakshya Sen Bows Out After Second Round Loss To Loh Kean Yew

Asian Games: Lakshya Sen bows out after second round loss to Loh Kean Yew (New Delhi: BWF World Championship 2026)

Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium: India’s Lakshya Sen’s Asian Games campaign came to an end in the men’s singles second round on Saturday, as Singapore’s former world champion Loh Kean Yew held his nerve to prevail in a three-game contest in Nagoya.

Loh, ranked 13th in the world, recovered from an early setback to beat the 14th-ranked Sen 21-12, 15-21, 21-14 at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium.

Sen appeared in control at the start of the opening game, racing to a 5-1 lead. Loh, however, responded emphatically, stringing together 10 successive points to turn the game around and establish a commanding advantage. The Singaporean eventually closed out the opener 21-12.

The Indian shuttler refused to let the match slip away. Sen raised his attacking intensity in the second game and stayed composed through the exchanges before securing it 21-15, forcing the contest into a decider.

The third game remained competitive, but Loh gradually built the advantage. He led 11-6 at the change of ends and, despite a spirited fightback from Sen, managed to keep the Indian at arm’s length.

Sen reduced the deficit to 13-14 during a four-point run and later moved to 14-16, but Loh responded with three consecutive points to restore his cushion. The Singaporean then moved to match point before Sen sent a return into the net, bringing the contest to an end.

Loh completed the victory in one hour and 10 minutes, improving his head-to-head record against Sen to 5-7. He will face another opponent later on Saturday in the round of 16.

For Sen, the defeat brings an early end to his individual campaign after he had already contributed to India’s bronze-medal finish in the men’s team event.

Loh completed the victory in one hour and 10 minutes, improving his head-to-head record against Sen to 5-7. He will face another opponent later on Saturday in the round of 16.

With Sen’s departure, India will now look to its remaining shuttlers to carry the challenge forward in the individual events.

Article Source: IANS