Lakshya Sen’s presence lights up National Games badminton

Lakshya Sen, the No. 1 Indian in the World rankings, will be the star to watch in the National Games men’s badminton event which begins at the Parade Ground indoor hall here on Wednesday.

The men’s and women’s badminton begins with the team event but it is not clear whether Olympian Lakshya, the World No. 10 and a former World Championship bronze medallist, will play the inter-State championship but organising officials confirmed that he will play for the National Games host Uttarakhand in men’s singles which start on February 2.

But Maharashtra’s young star Malavika Bansod, who was tipped to be the top seed in women’s singles, has pulled out of Games.