August 6th 2024.
Indian badminton player Ashwini Ponnappa recently shared her disappointment with badminton legend Prakash Padukone's comments about player responsibility, following Lakshya Sen's loss in the bronze medal match at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Ponnappa took to her Instagram story to express her thoughts on the matter, questioning the unfair allocation of blame towards players.
Ponnappa pointed out that while players are often praised for their wins, they are solely blamed for their losses. She argued that coaches, who play a crucial role in preparation and strategy, should also be held accountable for failures. "Why aren't coaches held responsible for lack of preparation and getting the player ready? They are the first ones to take credit for wins; why not take responsibility for their players' losses as well?" Ponnappa wrote.
She emphasized that victories and defeats should be seen as a collective effort of the entire team, including players, coaches, and support staff. "At the end of the day, winning takes a team effort and losing is also the team's responsibility. You can't suddenly push the player under the bus and blame it all on them," she added.
Padukone's comments came after Lakshya Sen's heartbreaking loss, which ended India's badminton medal hopes at the Olympics. In a press conference, Padukone stated that it was high time for players to take responsibility for their performance. "Ultimately, the responsibility is on the players to deliver when it matters the most," he said, acknowledging the efforts of federations and the government in supporting the athletes.
The Paris 2024 Olympics proved to be a challenging tournament for the Indian badminton team. Despite high expectations and strong performances leading up to the event, the team was unable to secure a medal. PV Sindhu, who was playing in her third Olympics, was eliminated in the Round of 16, while HS Prannoy lost to Lakshya Sen in the pre-quarters. However, Lakshya's journey was historic, as he became the first Indian male shuttler to reach the semifinals at the Olympics.
The men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who were considered strong contenders for a medal, also faced disappointment, losing in the quarter-finals. In the women's doubles, Ponnappa and her partner Tanisha Crasto struggled and failed to progress beyond the group stage. Overall, it was a disappointing outcome for the Indian badminton contingent at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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