Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen left for Austria on Sunday for a detailed evaluation of his physical condition at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Salzburg, as he aims to improve his fitness for upcoming tournaments on the BWF circuit.
The 22-year-old, who narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal in Paris, finishing fourth, will undergo a series of tests focused on specific strength aspects and overall physical conditioning.
Lakshya is accompanied by his trainer, Gaurav, and 15-year-old junior shuttler Nishchal Chand from Uttarakhand to help keep his game during the week-long stay.
"Lakshya is going to Austria to do some physical assessment. There is a good sports institute there, where he wants to do some physical exercise," said his coach, Vimal Kumar.
He added, “Lakshya had consulted Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala for any minor injuries and niggles before the trip”.
Vimal emphasized the importance of proper strength and conditioning for Lakshya, saying,
"Right now, he is fine but before he really starts going full-fledged, he needs to get the right physical training. Unless the strength and conditioning program is really spot on, he can get injuries."
Lakshya is expected to take part in the Hong Kong Super 500 and China Open Super 1000 tournaments in late September.
Given the physically demanding nature of badminton, Vimal highlighted the need for Lakshya to improve his fitness, particularly in speed and endurance, to complement his fast-paced style of play.
"He needs to get super fit or develop the ability to control the drift," Vimal said.
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