Lakshya Sen does not give up easily. Even when he falls far behind, the Indian badminton star keeps fighting. He showed the same fighting spirit against Japan’s Kodai Naraoka at the Asian Games 2026.
Sen lost the first game but made a strong comeback. He defeated Naraoka 11-21, 21-5, 21-19 in a thrilling 66-minute match. His win gave India a 1-0 lead against Japan in the men’s team quarterfinal.
The final game made this victory even more special.
Sen was 6-14 behind at one point. He later reduced the gap, but Naraoka again moved ahead and took a 19-14 lead.
Naraoka needed only two more points to win the match.
Sen needed seven.
But Sen did not give up.
Lakshya Sen fights back under pressure
CRAZY COMEBACK BY LAKSHYA GIVES INDIA THE LEAD AT ASIAN GAMES! 🤯
India’s Lakshya Sen stunned reigning World Championship medallist & World No. 7 Kodai Naraoka 11-21, 21-5, 21-19 in front of the home crowd!
SENSATIONAL comeback from 13-19 down to win 21-19! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
🇮🇳… pic.twitter.com/nZ7wneqMto
— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) September 22, 2026
The match did not start well for Sen. Naraoka played better in the opening game and won it 21-11.
However, Sen quickly changed things in the second game.
He played with more control and put Naraoka under pressure. Sen completely dominated the game and won it 21-5.
The match then went into a deciding third game.
Naraoka once again started strongly. He took a big 14-6 lead, putting Sen eight points behind.
The change of ends helped Sen get back into the game. However, Naraoka stayed ahead and later reached 19-14.
Lakshya Sen had almost no room for another mistake.
But he stayed calm.
Sen did not try to finish every rally quickly. Instead, he stayed patient and forced Naraoka to play more shots.
He moved Naraoka around the court and used the sides well. Sen also mixed his attacking shots with smart drop shots.
This put more pressure on Naraoka.
The Japanese player started making mistakes. He also made some errors near the net.
Lakshya Sen used every opportunity.
He slowly reduced the gap. Then came an incredible finish.
From 14-19 down, Sen won seven straight points.
He won the deciding game 21-19 and completed a brilliant comeback.
The Indian team celebrated the victory as Sen gave India an important lead in the quarterfinal.
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Sen started Asian Games 2026 with another win
This was not Sen’s first win at the Asian Games 2026.
India started its men’s team campaign against Bangladesh. Sen played the first singles match against Ayman Ibn Jaman.
That match was much easier for him.
Sen controlled the match from the start and won 21-4, 21-12.
Ayush Shetty then beat Gourab Singha 21-4, 21-13. Kidambi Srikanth also won his match as India completed a 3-0 victory over Bangladesh.
That win took India into the quarterfinals.
Japan gave India a much harder challenge.
Against Bangladesh, Sen stayed in control from beginning to end. Against Naraoka, he had to fight his way back into the match.
He faced huge pressure but still found a way to win.
However, this was not the first time Sen had made a big comeback against a top player.
Viktor Axelsen comeback remains one of Sen’s best
Lakshya Sen produced another memorable comeback against Viktor Axelsen at the 2022 German Open.
Axelsen was the World No. 1 and Olympic champion at that time.
Sen won the first game 21-13, but Axelsen fought back and won the second 21-12.
Axelsen then took a big 16-9 lead in the deciding game.
Sen was seven points behind against one of the best players in the world.
But he kept fighting.
Sen slowly closed the gap and made it 19-19.
He then completed the comeback and won the deciding game 22-20.
Sen won the match 21-13, 12-21, 22-20.
That comeback showed Sen’s ability to stay calm even when a match looks difficult to save.
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Anders Antonsen also saw Sen’s fighting spirit
Sen produced another big comeback at the 2024 All England Open against Denmark’s Anders Antonsen.
Sen was 2-8 behind in the deciding game.
He was still behind 6-11 when the players changed ends.
His coach Vimal Kumar wanted him to make fewer mistakes. Sen listened to the advice and completely changed the match.
From 6-11, Sen won 15 of the last 17 points.
He won the deciding game 21-14 and completed a 24-22, 11-21, 21-14 victory.
It was another example of Sen’s fighting spirit.
However, his comeback against Naraoka was even more dramatic because he was so close to losing.
At 14-19, Naraoka needed only two points to win.
Lakshya Sen needed seven points.
He won all seven.
Sen stayed calm, moved Naraoka around the court and used his drop shots well. He kept putting pressure on his opponent and forced him into mistakes.
The win also came at an important time for India.
With a place in the Asian Games semifinals on the line, Sen gave India the perfect start against Japan.
And once again, he showed one thing clearly: when Lakshya Sen is still on the court, the match is not over.
What do you think? Could Lakshya Sen’s stunning comeback against Kodai Naraoka become the turning point in India’s Asian Games 2026 campaign? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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