Lakshya scripts history, wins Kumamoto Masters Japan title
Kumamoto (Japan), Nov 15 (UNI) Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win the Kumamoto Masters Japan title, rallying from a game down to defeat Japan's Koki Watanabe in the final on Sunday, as India capped its most successful season on the BWF World Tour with a record nine titles and four runnerup finishes.
The eighth-seeded Sen defeated Watanabe 13-21, 21-18, 21-14 in a gruelling one-hour-and-four-minute contest at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium to claim his second consecutive title, following his triumph at the Hylo Open in Germany earlier this month.
The victory marked Sen's second Super 500 title of the year and fifth overall at the level, placing him joint-second among men's singles players in terms of Super 500 titles. He also became the first Indian men's singles player to win two World Tour titles in a season since Kidambi Srikanth clinched four Superseries titles in 2017.
After conceding the opening game 13-21, Sen bounced back strongly, racing to a 5-0 lead in the second game and building a nine-point advantage. Watanabe fought back with seven consecutive points, but the Indian held his nerve to take the game 21-18.
In the decider, Sen maintained control and entered the interval with a 11-7 lead before winning six successive points to tighten his grip on the contest. Despite a late fightback by the Japanese shuttler, Sen closed out the game 21-14 to seal the historic victory.
" It feels very good to win a title here. Last year, I reached the semifinals, so I am happy that I could better that result. This is my second title back-to-back and I would love to continue this form," Sen said after the win.
"Even after losing the first game, I kept my confidence up. I was making some easy lifts in the opening game, which allowed him to attack, so in the second and third games I focused on giving a better length and playing more aggressively," he added.
Congratulating Sen, Badminton Association of India (BAI) General Secretary Sanjay Mishra said the victory was another proud moment for Indian badminton and reflected the growing consistency of Indian players on the international circuit.
" This has been one of the most successful years for Indian badminton on the BWF World Tour, with our players setting new benchmarks. These achievements reflect the growing strength of Indian badminton and the collective efforts of our players, coaches and support teams," Mishra said.
Sen's triumph takes India's tally at Super 300 and higher-level tournaments outside the country to nine titles and four runner-up finishes in 2026, surpassing the previous best of six titles and three silver medals recorded in 2023.
The achievement makes 2026 India's most successful season on the BWF World Tour by this measure, underlining the country's growing presence in international badminton.
UNI BDN
