2024-08-07 23:53:31
New Delhi: Indian shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa has slammed badminton legend Prakash Padukone’s comments after Lakshya Sen missed out on a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In her Instagram story, Ponnappa expressed her disappointment over the unfair blame being placed on the players. She questioned why only the players are being held responsible for the failures while the coaches, who play a key role in preparation and strategy, are not being similarly scrutinised. “Disappointing to see this. If a player wins, everyone comes forward to take credit and if they lose, it is the player’s fault?! Why are the coaches not held responsible for the lack of preparation and not preparing the player properly? Why don’t the first people to take credit for the victory take responsibility for the defeat of their players?” Ponnappa wrote in her Instagram story.
He also argued that both wins and losses should be seen as the result of a collective team effort, including players, coaches and support staff. Ponnappa further wrote, ‘Ultimately, winning requires a team effort and losing is also the responsibility of the team. You cannot suddenly push a player down and put all the blame on the player.’
Addressing the press, Padukone said, ‘After Milkha Singh in 1964 and PT Usha in the 80s, we have seen many players come fourth. I think it is time for the players to take responsibility too… After all, it is the players who have the responsibility to perform well when it is needed the most.’ The 2024 Paris Olympics proved to be challenging for India’s badminton contingent. Despite high expectations and strong performances before the event, the team missed out on a medal.