New Delhi, March 8 -- The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, on Sunday praised Lakshya Sen's effort in the All England final, saying he's proud of his achievement despite the tough loss.

Sen returned with a silver medal from the All England Open 2026 after the 24-year-old went down in the men's singles final 21-15, 22-20 against Chinese Taipei's Lin Chun-Yi here on Sunday.

"Hard luck, Lakshya. Losing such a close All England final is still a commendable show. This was your second final in Birmingham, and that's a massive feat for us to feel proud and happy about. You have a long way to go, young man. The entire nation is proud of you," Mandaviya wrote in an X post.

Sen, who had spent more than five hours on...