Another feather in Lakshay’s cap

Anil Datt

Ludhiana, October 17

City prodigy shuttler Lakshay Sharma has created history of sorts. He has annexed bronze medal in singles category (U-13) in the All-India Sub-Junior Badminton Ranking Tournament held at Goa from October 9 to 15.

It is almost after a gap of two decades that a player from Punjab has won any position in the singles category in an All-India badminton tournament.

Lakshay (12), student of Sacred Heart Convent School, Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, has been making waves in the badminton arena, giving consistent performance for the past couple of years. He has won titles in the national as well as international-level tournaments.

At Goa, Lakshay warded off stiff challenge from Ankit Mondal of West Bengal whom he overpowered in three sets to lay his hands on bronze medal.

Lakshay survived a scare in the first set and managed to scramble past 21-19 to take the lead. However, Ankit bounced back with vengeance in the next one to wrap it up 21-17 to level the score one-all.

In the deciding game, both boys played their hearts out to rattle each other. Whereas Lakshay kept his composure intact, his rival fumbled at crucial junctures and went down fighting 17-21 which cost the latter match and bronze medal.

Lakshay had another reason to rejoice as he, in association with Ankit Mondal, got the better of the pair of Lokesh Reddy K and Satwik Reddy K from Telengana to clinch gold in the U-13 doubles category.

Lakshay and Ankit faced little resistance from their rivals whom they outperformed 21-15, 21-8 to lift the winners’ trophy.

Lakshay had won gold in the first week of this month in the Sub-Junior Punjab State Ranking Badminton Tournament held at Ropar.

He has under his belt the titles in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles categories in the Punjab State Badminton Championship, North Zone Ranking Tournament, All-India Inter-Zonal Badminton Tournament.

Besides, Lakshay stamped his class in the international level tournaments. He emerged victorious in the Swiss Youth Open Badminton Tournament and Glasgow Youth International Tournament.