‘We can’t suddenly push the player under the bus’: Ashwini Ponnappa lashes out at coach Prakash Padukone for his comments after Lakshya Sen’s defeat

Veteran shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa has lashed out at Lakshya Sen's coach Prakash Padukone for his criticism after Lakshya Sen failed to win a bronze medal at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 on August 5. Ponnappa took to her Instagram and slammed coach and mentor Padukone for taking credit only when a player wins medals but not taking the blame for the losses.
 

"Disappointing to see this. If a player wins, everyone jumps on the bandwagon to take credit and if they lose it's just the players' fault?! Why aren't coaches held responsible for lack of preparation and getting the player ready??" the 34-year-old said in her post. 
 

"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 team's responsibility. We can't suddenly push the player under the bus and blame it all on the player," she added.
 

No medal for Indian shuttlers at Paris Olympics

After Sen's loss to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia and Indian badminton contingent’s campaign came to an end. This is the first time since Beijing Olympics 2008, India have not won a medal at the Olympics. Sen came closest as two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu faced defeat in her pre-quarterfinal game.

ALSO READ: Reigning champion Neeraj Chopra qualifies for final with second-best throw of his career

Ashwini announces retirement after three consecutive losses in group stage

Earlier in the Olympics, Ashwini and Tanisha Crasto faced their third consecutive loss in women's doubles competition and crashed out of the tournament. They lost to Australia's Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu in their last group stage match. Following the defeat, the veteran shuttler announced her retirement when asked about whether she plans to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

ALSO READ: Paris Olympics: Vinesh Phogat storms into quarterfinal, stuns Tokyo Olympics gold-medallist Susaki Yui in last 15 seconds
 

"This will be my last, but Tanisha has a long way to go. It takes a toll emotionally and mentally; I can't go through this again. It's not easy; you can handle it better when you're younger. Having played for so long, I can't take it anymore," said Ashwini.
 

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