‘Why Aren’t Coaches Held Responsible?’: Ashwini Ponappa Questions Prakash Padukone’s

Indian badminton veteran, Ashwini Ponappa has hit back at the former World no 1, Prakash Padukone’s harsh criticisms regarding ‘player responsibility’ following Lakshya Sen’s heartbreaking loss in the bronze medal match at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Ponappa was extremely vocal on her official handle on Instagram but she did not perform anywhere near the levels expected as her women’s doubles campaign with Tanisha Crasto ended in a disaster with a group-stage exit without winning a single set in any of three matches.

Ponnappa in her Instagram story, expressed her disappointment at what she perceived as an unfair allocation of blame towards players.

“Disappointing to see this,” Ponnappa wrote in her Instagram story. “If a player wins, everyone jumps on the bandwagon to take credit, and if they lose, it’s just the player’s fault?! 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?”

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She also argued that both victories and defeats should be seen as the result of a collective team effort, 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 the player,” she added.

Padukone’s comments followed Sen’s defeat in the bronze medal match against Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, which marked a painful end to India’s badminton medal hopes at the Olympics.

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Addressing the press, Padukone stated, “After Milkha Singh in 1964 and PT Usha in the 80s, we have seen so many fourth-place finishes. I think it’s high time that players also take responsibility… Ultimately, the responsibility is on the players to deliver when it matters the most,” he emphasised that the federations and government had done their part, suggesting that the onus was on the athletes to perform.

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The 2024 Paris Olympics proved challenging for India’s badminton contingent. Despite high hopes and strong performances leading up to the event, the team fell short of securing a medal.

(with IANS Inputs)

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