13 august 2024 : Former captain of the Indian cricket team, Sunil Gavaskar, has expressed his support for badminton icon Prakash Padukone following Padukone’s call for athletes to assume responsibility after India failed to secure any Olympic medals in badminton at the Paris Games, marking the first occurrence since 2008. Padukone’s remarks were prompted by Lakshya Sen’s missed opportunities to make history during the Paris Olympics.
Lakshya was on the brink of becoming the first Indian male badminton player to win an Olympic medal after reaching the semifinals, where he initially held a seven-point advantage before ultimately losing to the eventual gold medalist, Viktor Axelsen. The following day, during the bronze medal match against Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, Lakshya won the first game and led 8-3 in the second, only to lose with scores of 21-13, 16-21, and 11-21.
In the aftermath of these defeats, Padukone expressed his frustration during a press conference, stating that it is time for players to be accountable for their performance, especially after receiving substantial support from the government in their Olympic preparations. While his comments were met with criticism from some fellow players, such as Ashwini Ponnappa, who accused Padukone of unfairly criticizing Lakshya, Gavaskar defended Padukone’s stance. He criticized the Indian contingent for making excuses and suggested that they would have preferred to win a gold medal if it had been a recognized event at the Olympics.
Padukone, known for his reserved nature and preference for privacy, surprised many with his candid remarks following the badminton team’s disappointing performance. His comments sparked a debate, with many choosing to side with current athletes rather than acknowledging the insights of a seasoned champion. The tendency to make excuses, Gavaskar noted, seems to be a recurring theme in the country, overshadowing the need to critically evaluate Padukone’s observations.
