Lakshya Sen loses to Lee Zii Jia, bronze medal slips out of hand
Paris, Aug 5: Lakshya Sen's hopes of winning an Olympic medal on Games debut went up in smoke after he lost in three games to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the bronze playoff here on Monday.
The 22-year-old from Almora squandered a one-game advantage as world number 7 Lee found his attack just in time to register a 13-21 21-16 21-11 win to secure the bronze.
His loss means that it would be the first time in 12 years that India will return without a badminton medal from the Olympics.
However, the youngster did get a first against his name in his maiden Games appearance.
The 2021 world championships bronze and 2022 Commonwealth Games gold-winner signed off as India's first male shuttler to reach the Olympic semifinals.
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EC will leave no stone unturned to hold free, fair elections in West Bengal: CEC Kumar
New Delhi (PTI): Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday asserted that the Election Commission will leave no stone unturned in holding free, fair and transparent polls in West Bengal where the first phase of voting is scheduled to be held on April 23.
Interacting with officials involved in poll management, the CEC said the elections will be fear-free, violence-free and intimidation-free.
Officials said the poll authority will ensure elections are also inducement-free and "booth jamming free".
No employee of the state government, local bodies or autonomous bodies will be allowed to influence the electoral process, they said.
The ruling TMC in the state has accused the EC of playing in the hands of the BJP, a charge vehemently rejected by the election watchdog.
The EC and the TMC have also been at loggerheads over the special intensive revision of voters' list with the party accusing the poll authority of deliberately disenfranchising voters to benefit the BJP. Both the EC and the BJP have rejected the charge while dubbing it as baseless.
The second phase of voting in West Bengal will be held on April 29 and votes will be counted on May 4.
