Chirag was the first one to develop an interest in badminton among the siblings.
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Representing the Indian team at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Malaysia from February 13 to 19, Lakshya Sen and Chirag Sen are set to create a unique national record. This marks the inaugural occasion in Indian badminton where both brothers have been selected for the national team. Chirag, at the age of 25, emerged victorious in the men’s singles national championship at Guwahati last month, attracting widespread attention.
Even though he is currently ranked 97th in the world, this led to his selection for the Indian team. Having achieved the 16th rank in the world, Lakshya has been competing with the senior team for a few years. DK Sen always had the desire to see his two sons play together for the national team. He’s been longing for this opportunity for a long time. Ever since DK Sen began coaching my children 15 years ago, his dream has been for both of them to play together on the senior Indian team.
As a father, he couldn’t wish for anything better than that. DK Sen stated in an interview that it is highly unusual for two brothers to play for the Indian team simultaneously, although he is unsure if it is a national record. While living in Almora, Uttarakhand, Senior Sen, a celebrated coach, imparted his knowledge of the game to his children. For more than a decade, the brothers have been honing their badminton skills at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy.
Their father is one of the coaches. Chirag and Lakshya were often likened to Steve and Mark Waugh due to their success in national competitions. Senior Sen said that my friends were certain that Chirag and Lakshya would eventually represent the Indian team, similar to how the Waugh brothers played for Australia.
DK said that he is relieved that he can now meet their son’s expectations. Of his sons, he is proud. Once Lakshya won two Super 500 titles and two medals at the All-England Championships (a silver and a bronze at the 2021 World Championships), people used to say he was way ahead of Chirag. However, he always thought that Chirag would one day step up to the plate,” DK Sen stated.
Senior Sen believes that Chirag will be inspired by recent achievements and will excel at the global level just like Lakshya. From their early days in the mountains of Almora, the Sen brothers, Lakshya, and Chirag, have transitioned to living in the urban environment of Bangalore. Now, they are both playing together in the national team.
Badminton is a widely favored sport in the Sen household. DK Sen was taught how to play badminton by his father, who excelled at the sport and received numerous medals while competing for civil service workers in India. He was involved in establishing the SAI center in Almora, where notable athletes like Anupama Upadhyaya, the national champion in 2023, were trained.
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