Sports/Alive News: Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen clinched the Kumamoto Japan Masters 2026 title after defeating Japan’s World No. 15 Koki Watanabe in a three-game final on Sunday. Sen recovered from a slow start to win 13-21, 21-18, 21-14 in a match that lasted one hour and four minutes.
Watanabe, playing in front of his home crowd, began aggressively and controlled the opening game to take a 1-0 lead. Sen responded strongly in the second game, relying on longer rallies and improved shot selection to put pressure on the Japanese shuttler. After a closely contested battle, Sen secured the game 21-18 to level the match.
The Indian maintained his momentum in the decider. Sen took an early lead and did not allow Watanabe to regain control, eventually winning the third game 21-14 to seal the championship.
The victory marks Sen’s second consecutive BWF World Tour title. Earlier this month, he won the Hylo Open in Germany, ending a difficult run of form.
Sen had entered the Japan Masters after being eliminated in the opening round of six successive tournaments. His last major breakthrough before the Hylo Open came when he reached the All England Open final in March.
At the Japan Masters, Sen also defeated Indonesia’s World No. 10 Alwi Farhan 21-12, 15-21, 21-11 in the semi-final. The back-to-back titles mark a strong turnaround for the Indian shuttler.
