Paris Olympics 2024: Veteran badminton player Ashwini Ponnappa has openly criticized Prakash Padukones remarks regarding the performance of Indian shuttlers at the Olympic Games. In a candid Instagram post, Ponnappa expressed her disapproval of Padukones comments, asserting that it is unjust to push the player under the bus and condemned coaches for only claiming credit when their trainees win medals.Ashwini Ponnappas response to criticismPonnappas strong words came in response to Padukones critical evaluation of Indian badminton following the loss of his protégé, Lakshya Sen, in the mens singles bronze medal match against Malaysias Lee Zii Jia at the Paris Olympics on August 5. Padukone, a former All England champion, was outspoken in his belief that players need to take greater responsibility and honor the trust placed in them by coaches, sports organizations, and the government.Ashwini Ponnappas two cents on yesterdays statement where Padukone sir indirectly gave a stern message to Lakshya and the other athletes. pic.twitter.com/3aDYw0loJT— Valmoth (@valmoth1) August 6, 2024Role of coachesIn her post, Ashwini Ponnappa questioned the accountability of coaches in preparing athletes for major competitions. She wrote, Disappointing to see this. If a player wins, everyone jumps on the bandwagon to take credit, and if they lose, its just the players fault! Why arent coaches held responsible for lack of preparation and getting the player ready 100% straight-talk from Prakash Padukone. Must watch. pic.twitter.com/n3ZdqpWkyZ— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) August 5, 2024She further added, They are the first ones to take credit for wins, why not take responsibility for their players losses as well! At the end of the day, winning takes a team effort, and losing is also the teams responsibility. We cant suddenly push the player under the bus and blame it all on the player.Disappointing Olympic outcome for Indian badmintonFor the first time since 2008, India returned from the Olympic Games without a badminton medal. A total of seven players, including two doubles pairs, represented India at the Paris Games. Among them, Lakshya Sen was the only male player to reach the medal rounds. The highly anticipated PV Sindhu and the doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were eliminated in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively.
