Sports · 8 March 2026

Lakshya Sen defeats Victor Lai to reach All England Open Badminton final

Exam-focused facts from the 8 March 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • India's Lakshya Sen, ranked world number 12, defeated Canada's Victor Lai (world number 16) in the men's singles semifinal of the All England Open Badminton Championships 2026.
  • The match lasted one hour and 37 minutes (97 minutes) with a final score of 21-16, 18-21, 21-15.
  • This victory marks Lakshya Sen's second final appearance at the tournament, having previously finished as runner-up in 2022.
  • The tournament is held in Birmingham, England, and is sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
  • Lakshya Sen will face Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei in the final, who advanced after defeating world number two Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.
  • During the event, Lakshya Sen also secured victories against world number one Shi Yuqi, Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus, and China’s Li Shifeng.