KUMAMOTO, JAPAN: Lakshya Sen recovered from losing the opening game to defeat home player Koki Watanabe in the men’s singles final of the Kumamoto Masters Japan on Sunday, November 15, 2026. The eighth-seeded Indian won 13–21, 21–18, 21–14, completing the final in one hour and four minutes.
The score, seeding and duration are recorded in the Badminton World Federation’s official results. The tournament ran from November 10 to 15 at Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium and offered total prize money of US$500,000.
A title decided over three games
Watanabe took the first game 21–13, leaving Sen needing to win both remaining games. Sen levelled the contest by taking the second 21–18 and then secured the deciding game 21–14. The result completed a two-games-to-one victory for the Indian on the final day of the competition.
Reports by Akashvani News and IANS, carried by Telangana Today, identified Sen as the first Indian winner of the tournament, which began in 2023.
Success follows Hylo Open victory
The Kumamoto result gave Sen consecutive tournament titles following his Hylo Open success in Germany earlier this month. The two victories came late in the season, as players competed for places at the year-ending World Tour Finals.
Sen had reached the Kumamoto final after a three-game semi-final victory over Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan. His win on Sunday completed that campaign with the men’s singles trophy. The BWF tournament page lists the Hong Kong Open as the next World Tour event.
For related coverage, read NDR’s report on the Hylo Open titles.