Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen has provided a detailed account of the elbow injury he sustained during the Thomas Cup Finals, revealing that high adrenaline levels during his quarter-final clash against Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen initially masked the severity of the damage. The Paris Olympic bronze medalist now faces a race against time to be fit for the upcoming Thailand Open, scheduled from May 12-17, after sustaining the 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, have a word with him, and then decide how to go about the tournament,” Lakshya Sen replied to an IANS query during a press conference facilitated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
The injury was sustained during his hard-fought Thomas Cup quarter-final 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 I’m still waiting for confirmation from the doctor, as I’ve undergone MRI scans. Once I get his opinion, we’ll have a clearer idea about the tournament,” he added.
Providing further details, Lakshya explained that the intensity of the match initially hid the seriousness of the injury.
“The injury happened in the first set of the match against Chou Tien-chen. I couldn’t realize it at that time. It hurt for the next two or three points when I dived, but after that I completely forgot about it. The adrenaline was so high that I couldn’t focus on the pain,” he said.
The World No. 9 added that while his coach noticed the injury during the match, he chose not to intervene to avoid disrupting Lakshya’s focus.
“Immediately after the match, when I went back, I saw that my elbow was swollen. The coach told me that he noticed it during the match, but didn’t tell me earlier because I wasn’t complaining at the time,” he added.
Lakshya described how the situation worsened once the adrenaline wore off, prompting consultations with the medical team.
“When I came back and my body cooled down, it started hurting a little more. There was redness around the swelling as well. It didn’t look very good-to me or to the physios,” he said.
Following an assessment, doctors warned Lakshya that continuing to play could result in long-term damage.
“They said it was looking quite bad and that I wouldn’t be able to play at 100 per cent. Even if I tried, I would be at around 60-70 per cent. There were also chances that it could get worse, as we didn’t know what was happening inside because the swelling was too much,” Lakshya explained.
Lakshya’s absence in the semi-final proved a significant blow to India’s prospects, as the 2022 champions eventually returned home with a bronze medal. While he expressed a strong desire to continue competing for the national side, the final decision was taken collectively with the medical staff.
“With the physios and the doctor, it was a collective decision. I tried until the very end to see if I could play the match, but it wasn’t possible,” he concluded.
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