Lakshya Sen became the first Indian to win the Kumamoto Masters Japan title on Sunday, coming from a game down to beat Japan’s Koki Watanabe 13-21, 21-18, 21-14. The final lasted one hour and four minutes at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
The eighth-seeded Indian secured back-to-back titles, following his Hylo Open win in Germany earlier this month. This was his second Super 500 title of the year and fifth overall at the level, placing him joint-second among men’s singles players.
Sen also became the first Indian men’s singles player to win two World Tour titles in a season since Kidambi Srikanth won four Superseries titles in 2017.
Reflecting on the win, Sen said, “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.”
“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.
After losing the opening game 13-21, Sen raced to a 5-0 lead in the second, eventually building a nine-point cushion. Watanabe answered with seven consecutive points, but Sen held firm to take the game 21-18. In the decider, the Indian went into the interval at 11-7 before winning six points on the trot. A late fightback from Watanabe narrowed the gap, but Sen closed out the match 21-14 to secure the title.
Congratulating Sen, Badminton Association of India (BAI) General Secretary Sanjay Mishra said, “Lakshya’s victory from a game down to win a final against a home player at the Kumamoto Masters is another proud moment for Indian badminton and a reflection of the consistency with which our players are performing on the international stage.”
“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.”
The win takes India’s tally at Super 300 and higher-level tournaments outside India to nine titles and four runner-up finishes in 2026. This surpasses the previous best of six titles and three runner-up finishes in 2023, making it India’s most successful season by this measure.
Picture Credit – BWF/Badminton Photo
