Star Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen has pulled out of the upcoming Australian Open Super 300 badminton tournament after suffering a throat infection.
The 21-year-old from Almora contracted the infection just before the HiLo Open, where he lost in the opening round to Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus in Saarbrücken, Germany.
The Australian Open is to be held in Sydney from 15 to 20 November.
“I had fever, sore throat and weakness after reaching Saarbrücken before the Hello Open. I probably picked up the infection while traveling from Paris,” Sen, who returned to India on Saturday night, told PTI on Sunday.
“I thought it is not that serious. I was training last Sunday and then on Monday I felt it increased. I consulted doctor online and took medicine. It is under control now. But given the situation I have decided to pull out of the Australian Open. The Commonwealth Games champion said he had no chance of qualifying for the World Tour Finals, which also played a role in his decision to pull out of the tournament.
“I sent my entries earlier because I thought it would help me qualify for the World Tour Finals, but it is not possible now, so it is better to take a couple of weeks off, get back to full fitness And start with my off-season training to get ready for the next season. The past few months have been tough for Sen, who had a surgery just after the World Championships for a ‘deviated septum’, a condition that occurs when the thin wall between the nasal passages (nasal septum) is on one side. gets displaced.
“I had these conditions for the past few years. I was not able to breathe properly on either side of my nose. One side got completely blocked. Doctors told me that only after I was 18 or 20 It can be fixed.
“But with a series of tournaments like the CWG and the World Championships, there was no time. So after the World Championships, I decided to go for surgery.” Sen, All England The silver medalist, said it was the only window as Paris Olympic qualification would begin next year.
“It took 3 to 4 weeks to fully recover. But my immunity was reduced. The surgery went very well. But I could not play to my 100 per cent all the time,” said the current world number eight.
“I started playing just two weeks before I went on the Europe tour. Since my qualification for the finals of the World Tour was on the line, and the doctor had given the green signal, I thought let me play. “So what’s his plan now?
“I plan to spend time with my family, get better and then train for the next season. I will probably play PBL,” said the India Open champion.
Asked how satisfied he is with the way things turned out in 2022, Sen said: I started very well. Reaching the finals in a few events gave me a lot of confidence. I wanted to do well in Commonwealth Games, All England, World Championships, some did well, some didn’t but it was a good season.”
indianexpress.com
