‘Not every inspiring story ends with a trophy’: Bindra, Sindhu laud Lakshya Sen’s All England silver run

Playing with painful blisters on his right toes, India’s badminton star Lakshya Sen battled valiantly but settled for a silver medal after losing 15-21 and 20-22 to Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei in the men’s singles final of the All England Open Badminton Championships 2026 at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham. This marks the second time the 24-year-old from Uttarakhand has finished runner-up at the prestigious tournament, after losing the 2022 final.

Sen endured over five hours on court in earlier rounds, and the gruelling schedule took its toll in the final. Lin, who had already claimed the India Open Super 500 title earlier this year, surged to an early lead in the first game with sharp attacking rallies, forcing Sen onto the defensive. Despite a late fightback, Sen was unable to match Lin’s consistency, and the opening game ended 21-15 in favour of the Chinese Taipei shuttler.

Advertisement

The second game saw Sen mount a spirited comeback. He raced to a 9-4 lead after winning six consecutive points and looked determined to push the contest into a decider. However, Lin gradually clawed back, engaging Sen in long, physically demanding rallies. The game went to deuce twice before Lin edged past Sen 22-20, completing a historic victory as the first men’s singles player from Chinese Taipei to win the All England title.

Abhinav Bindra and PV Sindhu praise Lakshya Sen’s resilience

Despite the loss, Sen’s performance drew widespread admiration. Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra praised the Indian’s resilience on X, saying,

“Not every inspiring sporting story ends with a trophy. Over the last few days, Lakshya Sen has shown India what courage, resilience, and belief truly look like. His run to another All England final, through extraordinary wins and immense physical pain, has been about far more than a result. I am proud of you, @lakshya_sen. Very, very proud.”

Not every inspiring sporting story ends with a trophy. Over the last few days, Lakshya Sen has shown India what courage, resilience and belief truly look like. His run to another All England final, through extraordinary wins and immense physical pain, has been about far more than…

— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) March 8, 2026

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also lauded Sen’s “phenomenal run,” noting the physical toll of playing back-to-back high-intensity matches.

“Never easy to come back and play a final less than 24 hours after a brutal semifinal. Those matches really stay in the legs… Lakshya still had a phenomenal week. Beating Shi Yuqi and Li Shifeng in the same tournament says a lot about the level he’s playing at,” Sindhu wrote on X. She also compared Lin’s attacking prowess to Lin Dan, praising the intensity of the final.

Lin Chun Yi takes it 21–15, 22–20.

Never easy to come back and play a final less than 24 hours after a brutal semifinal. Those matches really stay in the legs.

I remember the 2021 All England Open Badminton Championships. I had a really long quarterfinal against Akane… pic.twitter.com/GdLvgQ6ASr

— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) March 8, 2026

Sen’s display of skill and composure under pressure reinforced his place among India’s top shuttlers. With the season still unfolding, Sen looks poised to carry this momentum into the remaining Super 1000 tournaments.